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Keeping cool in the summer can be a costly endeavor. Here are a some tips to save money while staying cool at home. Give me a call if you have any other home maintenance questions. I can get you in touch with the right people!

• Open your windows at night to let cool air in and use fans to help aid in the process. Don’t forget to close the windows during the day to trap the cool air in!

• Invest in some blinds or darkening curtains to help insulate and regulate the air inside while you’re away.

• Big machines like your washer and dryer tend to give off a lot of heat, so do your laundry at night for maximum efficiency. With that in mind, get out and use your grill instead of your oven and stove when cooking.

• If you have central air running through your home, you can maximize your AC usage while saving money by scheduling when it runs. Energy.gov suggests 78 +/- 1-2 when you’re at home, and bumping it up to 80 when you’re away. This of course can be adjusted to your comfort levels, but it’s a fantastic starting point. Don’t forget to change out your filters frequently during the summer.

• The best thing you could do is to invest in exterior shades, like an awning or outdoor shutters. Awnings are an extremely effective way to reduce cooling costs.

These are just a few tips and tricks to chill out in your home while saving a bit of money. Stay cool!

Our city’s reputation once lay in its prolific population of stumps– now, as summertime comes to Portland again 165 years after the city’s incorporation, the trees that make Portland beautiful release their leaves and open their blossoms once again. Take this opportunity to visit and appreciate Portland’s historical, wonderful, and fruitful arbors. As always, if you have questions about the real estate market, I am happy to be of service!

The Hoyt Arboretum

Perched high in Washington Park, the Hoyt Arboretum showcases a collection of shrubs and trees from around the world and your own backyard. Stroll the shaded paths independently, or take advantage of guided tours around the park concerning subjects as varied as ethnobotany, creating natural dyes and native trees. Enjoy a quiet picnic in the designated picnicking area, or simply meditate on the Redwood observation deck– the arboretum allows you to take in the diversity and beauty of trees, whisking you far away from the city and into the natural world. Free, and accessible by TriMet Line 63. Prices for tours vary.

Heritage Trees of Portland

Explore Portland’s oldest trees and rediscover the history of your neighborhood through its trees. With 300 historical trees scattered throughout the city, there certainly is much to appreciate! Download the Heritage Trees app and take an unconventional tour of Portland– learn the history and significance of some of Portland’s oldest residents, where the growth of the city will take on a new meaning. PDXheritagetrees

Portland Fruit Tree Project – Community Orchards

The Pacific Northwest is home to some of the world’s finest fruits– from cherries to peaches, Oregon’s fruit trees will soon be laden with the taste of summer. The Portland Fruit Tree project brings the farm into your neighborhood, inviting residents of the city’s various quadrants to participate in the care and harvest of a community orchard. Grow and pick delicious fruits straight off the branch, meet neighbors, and appreciate the trees that make summertime special. www.portlandfruit.org. Various Locations.

Now is the perfect time to start your garden! Whether your thumbs have been green for years or you’re planning to play in the dirt for the first time, you’ll dig this guide.

#1. Focus on the trinity of gardening: soil, water, sunlight. Some quick research into what your planned plantings love makes a world of difference when it’s harvest time. Make yourself a cheat sheet for each of your future foods and be diligent!
 
#2. Start before the beginning. Get your hands dirty. The best soil will be soft and crumbly, not sandy, not wet and sticky. If your soil is leaning to one side of that scale, add sand or compost to balance it out. Fertilizer is your friend.

#3. Put on your garden planning hat. Once you know which of your plants will be on similar water schedules, group them together for shared sipping. Know where your light is coming from. Let the taller sun-loving residents like kale or cilantro throw some friendly shade for their shorter fair-complexioned neighbors.
 
#4. Grow what your belly wants. If you’re eagerly anticipating the yield of your efforts, you’re far more likely to nurture your garden. Arugula, spinach, kale, mizuna, bok choi, and mustard greens make for fabulous salads and savory side dishes. Peas are fast-growing, early season crops. Think of your favorites and find out if they grow well in our climate!
 
Everything tastes better when you’ve grown it yourself. That might not just be satisfaction either. There are certain vitamins and minerals (magnesium, for example) that don’t get replenished in soil. So that fresh dirt in your yard will sprout healthier produce than what you’re buying at the store from regularly farmed fields.
 
I’d be honored to sample any of your home-grown fruits and vegetables, but don’t feel like you need to wait to harvest season to give me a call. I’m always available to help you with any of your home and real estate needs!