Back to School Tips for All Ages

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Back to School Tips

Back to school season is here! Schools are starting up again after summer break in nearly all of our surrounding areas. Our young ones are heading off to the their first day of school; our pre-teens are about to enter the middle school dark ages; our teenagers dealing with the four-year road to independence; our eldest teens prepare themselves to be on their own either working or earning a degree. Each back to school era ushers in new maturation and requires different preparation. We’re here to help with it. Their education is cumulative, so most everything mentioned from each milestone can apply to future grades as well!

Elementary School

The very beginning of a child’s schooling. This is the era when they will develop the social and early critical thinking skills necessary for nearly all parts of their future daily activities. These are the foundations of their future, so they’re mighty important!

  • Get things that show off what they like. If they have a deep love for Disney-Pixar’s Cars series, let them go wild and rock a Cars backpack or lunchbox. Do they love Elsa from Frozen? That Frozen T-Shirt would make for a great first day of the year outfit. It’ll be easier for them to find those who like similar things and begin a friendship with them. Friends in childhood are super important and can bring so much happiness to your child.
  • Buying supplies on supply lists is a safe bet. Teachers go to great lengths to provide the best education for their students. Many days before the year begins are spent preparing curriculum, games, ideas, assignments and more. Supply lists are pretty fine-tuned to provide everything a child could need. However, many teachers also pack their classrooms to the brim with their own supplies, so you may not need to buy everything. Talk to the teacher if possible and see what they have planned, and buy supplies around that. If you want to establish a good rapport with the teacher, definitely buy the much-needed tissues and disinfectants they always request.

Middle School

These are three years, but also the years most kids want to forget. Very few people finish school and say that middle school was a great time. These are the years of true identity building, and very often that means long hair, doing whatever it means to be “cool.” These three years can go any direction.

  • Social media can be beneficial or destructive. There’s a reason nearly all services state that users must be 13 years or older in the Terms of Service. Social media is a great place for friends to interact and share experiences with each other, but there’s a wild world out there on the internet. Keep tabs on their internet usage and set restrictions if you notice their usage becoming a detriment to their social or educational well-being. Time away from the screens can be a great thing.
  • Stay in touch with their teachers & counselors. It’s a good idea to keep in touch with your child’s educators so that you can know what’s going on when your child doesn’t necessarily tell you everything. Keeping regular contact with their educators can help you prepare for upcoming units/chapters/homework so that you can best help your young ones.

High School

Final stretch of the K-12 system. Your children are nearing adulthood and have matured so far beyond their first day of school in kindergarten. By the time ninth grade rolls around, the previous decade will have seemed like it flew by in the blink of an eye. High school is still a long journey to the finish line.

  • Recommend that they join a sport or club. If they haven’t joined one thus far in their K-12 career, now is a great time for them to hop in. Be it football, basketball, theatre, choir, band, art, math, beta, etc., they’ll be surrounded by people with similar interests. It’s a great way for them to make the friends they may keep for decades to come.
  • College-credit courses are wonderful and bountiful. It’s not difficult to imagine your child walking out the high school doors with enough college credits earned via AP and dual-credit courses to make them a college sophomore or higher. AP and dual-credit courses are far, far cheaper than an entire year–nay, even a single semester–and should absolutely be taken if the opportunity is there and if your teen wants to take them.

College

After nearly eighteen years within the nest, kids are likely begging to be released out into the world to fly. College is the prime time they can be on their own and learn vital skills related to independence, time management, and financial responsibility. When the semester begins, there’s a few things you can do.

  • Take the time to help them move in. Moving out is an important day in both your and your child’s lives and it’s best to experience it together. You’re going to serve as the bridge between their independence and their dependent home life. It’s a great thing to help and let them know independence isn’t as scary as it may seem.
  • Don’t buy all the books before the semester. Professors at many universities are often required to list a textbook as a required material even if the students don’t truly need it. For courses like anatomy, math, foreign language, and business, a textbook requirement is often true. For others, it’s best to wait until classes begin. Save your money and wait until the professor tells you to get it!

School is the wild wild west–we can never accurately predict the experience our children will have, but we have to try our best to provide them the best education and social experience possible. The hours spent in school during the 13 K-12 years and 4 university years are where they learn who and what they are. The time will speed past us at breakneck rates, but it’s important we try our best to slow down and be there for our kids whenever they need us, even when they don’t know they need us.

If you have any tips you want to share with others, leave a comment here or over at our Facebook page! Schooling is hectic, and parents are always in the market to further their knowledge. To read more tips about your home, head back to our blog.

Moving With Pets

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[three_fifth padding=”0 15px 0 15px”]We’re all pet owners and pet lovers here at The Weil Team. Farewells to our beloved pets in the morning before the trip to work and the happy greetings after a long day make every single day better. Our pets are part of our family to whom we give love and care and treats to every single moment that we possibly can. When a family moves, there’s no question that their dog is along for the move as well. There’s a few extra precautions and procedures that we recommend doing for pets to make sure that moving pets from one home to another goes as smoothly as possible.

While your new home will be entirely yours, don’t forget that the home will also be where your pet will be living as well! A living area foreign to your pet may make it a bit anxious for quite some time. We recommend getting your pet acclimated to the area once the home buying process is on its way.

  • Walk your dog around the home and neighborhood
  • If approved by the current homeowner, bring your pet inside
  • Give your pet some treats within the home before moving in

[two_third]Moving day can be wildly hectic. Boxes stacked to the ceiling and movers in and out of all doors of the house will often rattle some pets and scare them.

  • Keep them in a room with the least packed boxes to keep the home familiar to them
  • On moving day, let them stay at a friend’s house so they avoid the stresses of moving entirely

Now that the whole family is in the home, make sure that the home is safe for your pets! In a vacant home there can often be exposed electrical cords and possibly not-so-consumable plants on the outside.

  • Tuck in electrical cords
  • Make sure your furniture is set up in a way your pets can’t get stuck
  • Double-check for any pest traps around baseboards and other areas
  • Remove poisonous plants outside of the home
  • Check for chemicals in the water (sinks, toilets, etc.)

After the move is successful, there’s still some work to be done to ensure your animal friends are happy folk. They can be wary of new surroundings for a while, so do your best to get them acclimated to their new home. Keep them in their crate in a room with you for a few hours if possible–your own comfort in a new home will ease their apprehension. Take them out of it and play or pet them for a bit to show that they can have fun in their new surroundings. Once they seem a bit more like their normal selves, open the room’s door and let them explore one room at a time.

At this point, they’ll probably be as excited as you are to check out their new home, so let them run wild! They’ll lay and roll around on the new carpet, slide all over the slick hardwood and much to our dismay will likely jump over new furniture. It’s all the fun of being a pet-owner.

From our pet-loving team to your family, we wish you luck on moving pets and moving homes![/three_fifth][two_fifth_last padding=”0 15px 0 15px”]

@charlotte.doodle is 7 today 🎈

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Happy National Pet Day from The Weil Team family. #yolo

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Back Yard Bliss – Make the Most of Your Outdoor Space

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Mowing, weeding, raking and all of the other maintance our yards require should pay off, right? Is your time spent “all work and no play?” Start getting rewarded for your efforts with these backyard ideas.Amy Howell Hirt of HouseLogic.com shares ideas on how to “Turn your labor-loving yard into a leisure-loving one.”

Outdoor Cooking and Dining Space
Add/upgrade your grill. Try adding your own outdoor pizza oven (fyi. it’s not just for pizza! but even if it were…). Be sure to have some seating for lounging and dining, consider built-ins.
A Private Outdoor “Room”
Add privacy fencing and comfortable outdoor furniture. Shop around for personalized weather-resistant furnishings or make some of your own.
Recreation Areas for Play
Playing isn’t just for kids! Make an area for bocce ball, cornhole, etc. and you’ll have a backyard with so many fun activities it will rival an amusement park!
DIY Fire Pit
A low cost and perfect solution for staying warm on those common cool summer nights. Grab some chairs and a few random sticks that you might have laying around and make some s’mores!
An Outbuilding a.k.a. Liveable Shed
Stress is everywhere, often even in our homes. A second home right located in your backyard can be the perfect place to unwind and relax. Think of it as a playhouse for grown-ups!
Outdoor Lighting
Stargazing in darkness can be a wonderful activity. But for get-togethers or outdoor lounging, efficient solar and LED lights let you extend your outdoor fun late into the night!

Leann Potts, another of House Logic’s journalists, has some additional suggestions for creating your outdoor oasis.

Make Some Noise
Sound alone can affect a yard’s ambience. Play music on an outdoor Bluetooth speaker or install a relaxing fountain to drastically improve the atmosphere of your yard.
Create Shade
No matter the year, summer is one thing: hot. Install a sail shade or consider growing overhead vines on a pergola to change the scenery to provide an soothing escape from the sweltering heat.
Biting-Bugs Avoidance
As the year approaches its middle months, bugs begin to hunt us in swarms. But no more! Some simple solutions to stop the pesky bites are:
• Use LED bulbs with a Kelvin rating lower than 3,000
• Install bird and bat shelters
• Use a portable or ceiling fan

What do you love about your backyard? We’d love to hear the ways you get creative and make the most of your space! You can go back to our blog for other home tips!

Spring Home Health Check-Up: Three Areas to Examine Now

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A step-by-step home check-up guide to find warning signs and advice on how to repair them

LINDSAY LISTANSKI APR 10, 2018

By David Baur, Product Manager, GCP Applied Technologies

Spring is here! Time to get out and enjoy the great outdoors. It is also the ideal time to do a home health check-up, inspecting what winter left behind.

So, what are the three key areas of your home to examine and what do you look for? We have you covered from roof to deck. Follow this step-by-step home check-up guide to find warning signs and advice on how to repair them.

Roof: You’ve probably never thought about it, but your roof has to battle a lot of enemies: ultraviolet rays, rain, wind, snow and ice. But the good news is most new shingle roofs are designed to last about 20 years. Slate roofs and some types of tile and metal roofs can last even longer. The actual life span of your roof is determined by several factors, including environmental conditions, material quality, proper application and regular roof maintenance.

Warning Signs: How do you know when your roof is in trouble? Look for these warning signs:

Outside:

  • Shingles that are warped, blistered, missing or torn
  • Shingles covered in moss or algae, which hold moisture and encourage rot
  • Loose material or wear around chimneys, pipes and other penetrations
  • Overhanging tree branches that could gouge the roof in a strong wind
  • Excessive debris (leaves, dirt, ice, roofing granules) in the gutters or downspouts, which block drainage

Inside:

  • Ceiling spots or leaks
  • Cracked paint
  • Discolored plasterboard
  • Peeling wallpaper
  • Mold, mildew or rot in the walls, ceilings, insulation and electrical systems
  • In the attic, look for signs of water infiltration such as staining, dampness, or mold growing on insulation/sheathing/rafters A poorly ventilated attic that shows signs of moisture, which promotes the roof’s decay. Sufficient attic ventilation can be achieved by installing larger or additional vents

Repairs Needed?

If repairs are needed, don’t skimp on quality to save a few cents. Much of the damage associated with serious storms results from water entering the home when roof coverings or siding is blown off. This is why it is imperative that you have a secondary layer of waterproofing protection underneath the shingles and siding. If proper protection measures are not taken, the resulting leaks are the main cause of interior damage, as well as potential causes of rot and mold. Rot and mold can lead to major structural damage and even potential health problems for homeowners.

Use Underlyaments: FEMA has published recommendations for the use of fully-adhered roofing underlayments, such as Grace Ice & Water Shield®, as an enhanced secondary water barrier for homes. In the event roof coverings are blown off or water manages to get underneath your shingles, these underlayments are the key to preventing water infiltration.

Windows & Doors: Beyond the roof, a home’s doors and windows can also become major leak zones. Even if the windows and doors are well shuttered in a storm, wind-driven rain can be blown into the house at these points, especially if they have not been properly flashed and weatherproofed.

Warning Signs: How do you know when your doors and windows are in trouble? The following are some signs of water damage:

Inside & Outside:

  • Leaks or breaks in seams around window trim and sills
  • Uneven doorframes
  • Discolored plasterboard
  • Peeling wallpaper
  • Chipped or cracked stucco finishes
  • Mold, mildew, or rot in the walls, insulation, and electrical systems
  • Missing, cracked, or blistered paint inside the home

Repairs Needed?

Use Flashing: Flashing is a critical part of your home’s weather barrier system. If not properly selected and installed, wind-driven rain, ice and snow, can leak and quickly cause damage to your home. Flexible flashings such as GCP Applied Technologies’ Vycor® Plus can be used to seal the most vulnerable spots, including windows, doors, corner boards, and other non-roof detail areas. It is designed to work in severe winter climates, milder climates, and in coastal areas where wind driven rain is common.

Deck: Last but not least, check the deck.A deck is a wonderful way to enjoy the outdoors in the warmer weather. But, if your deck is not protected against the extreme weather, it can deteriorate and become unsafe. Decks, fences and other wood products should be routinely weatherproofed and cleaned to maximize their useful life. Weather combined with the treatment chemicals used for today’s pressure treated lumber means that the modern deck must be proper constructed to hold up.

Warning Signs: How do you know when your deck is in trouble? Look for these warning signs:

  • Warped boards
  • Cracked or split boards
  • Debris that is “clogging up” space between deck boards
  • Look under the deck for corroded joist hangers and other connectors
  • Soft wood
  • Mold and mildew

Repairs Needed?

Use a Protective Barrier: Even with today’s treated and high-tech decking products–which look great and last and last–preventing joist rot and decay, as a result of water accumulation under the decking boards, remains a major problem. Vycor Deck Protector® is a unique solution to significantly extend the useful life of decks. Vycor Deck Protector® helps prevent joist rot and decay and decrease the corrosion rate of connectors and fasteners.

By inspecting these three areas of your home and correcting any damage with the best materials, you will ensure your home will live longer. Not to mention your wallet will be happy too! Now, put on those shades and head out to enjoy the spring & summer activities with peace of mind!

David Baur is Product Manager at GCP Applied Technologies, formerly known as Grace Construction Products. He has step by step tips for homeowners, contractors and builders on building homes for extreme weather.

healthy breakfast bowls

January Recipe – Healthy Breakfast Bowls

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Breakfast will always be a staple of our day. After a night of sleep, our stomachs are empty and the best thing to do is fill it up with nutritious food to give our bodies the energy and fuel it needs to perform optimally. This recipe for healthy breakfast bowls does exactly that while tasting absolutely incredible at the same time!

(for 4 servings)

Prep time: 25 min
Difficulty: easy
Cannot be frozen

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
4 large eggs
7 oz | 8 cups mixed leaf salad
4 jalapeño peppers, seeded and sliced
6 oz | 1 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
17 oz | 2 cups canned chickpeas, drained
6 sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
4 green onions, sliced
2 large ripe avocado, halved, pitted and sliced
1 small bunch mint, leaves only
4 tbsp pumpkin seeds, pepitas
1 tsp red pepper flakes
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Method:
1 Heat olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan set over a medium heat.

2 Crack eggs into the pan and season with salt and pepper. Fry until the whites and yolks are set, 4-5 minutes. Slide out of pan onto paper towels.

3 Arrange the salad, jalapeños, cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, green onions and sliced avocado in bowls.

4 Top with fried eggs and a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds, mint leaves and red pepper flakes before serving.

Nutritional information:
cal: 472
protein (g): 18
carbs (g): 36
fat (g): 29
fiber (g): 15

We hope you like making these tasty, healthy breakfast bowls! If you want to check out other tasty recipes, check out more recipes on our blog. Let us know below what you thought of the food!