Happy spring clean out: De-clutter, help community

Finally, spring! Besides spring-cleaning, this is a good time to get rid of anything that is no longer serving you. Many organizations have fundraising yard sales. Or start gathering up goodies for your own. Sort your stuff into piles: trash/donate/sell.

On the flip side, watch for local yard and garages sales to purchase “new-to-your-home” items. You never know what you might find, and the price can be remarkably lower than buying new. Look for Facebook online yard, too. Just as you are looking to change the look in your home, someone else is, as well.

Storing life’s memories in the Digital Age

With every wave of new technology comes the question: What do I do with my “old” valuable family memories? A few years ago, it was photos and slides to scanned images, as well as film to videotape to DVD. Now it’s digital pictures and digital videos … to what?

As Seen on TV “HGTV’s House Hunters!”

Laurel Lustgarten of Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty was recently selected to film an episode of House Hunters for HGTV, after a multi-stage audition process.

The episode followed Lustgarten and her buyers, Daphne Garcia and Rudy Rodriguez, during their home search in the Goshen and Middletown area. Three properties that were listed for sale at the time were toured, as well as various locations in Orange County. The House Hunters episode is set to air at 3:30 p.m., Feb. 21 on HGTV. Look for reruns to air titled, “Moving Up in New York State”.

Tips for a successful office makeover

Kathleen Day, chief organization officer at LifeSmith University, loves working with business owners.

“They give their heart, soul and the majority of their time to their companies. Sometimes the environment and the schedule get the short end of the stick. My intention with an office makeover is to create an immediate difference in those two areas, in a way that the clients can embrace, and most importantly, maintain,” says Day.

Instead of tossing unwanted items, try upcycling

My mission this year is to really focus on getting rid of things I no longer need, with the possibility of downsizing in the future. It is never too early to start. This week I went into the storage area of my basement and almost had an anxiety attack. My intention was to start the purging process, but I got very overwhelmed. Read more

Introducing … 2016 colors of the year

For the first time, world-renowned authority on color, Pantone, introduces two shades — Rose Quartz and Serenity — as the Pantone 2016 Color of the Year. Rose Quartz is a gentle tone that conveys compassion and a sense of composure. Serenity is weightless and airy, like the expanse of the blue sky above us, bringing feelings of relaxation even in turbulent times.

Recognize the Hero in Your Life

With Veteran’s Day on November 11, I wanted to recognize the hero in my life, my father. William Tirabasso was born in the United States but his family went back to Italy where he was raised. To this day my dad speaks with a thick Italian accent so people think he was born in Italy. Read more

Project CARD ONE: Cards for our troops!

For the last few years I had the privilege to spread the word about a special project that sends greeting cards to our troops.

Michelle Little organizer of Project CARD ONE, says “There are plenty of cards to share and we can always use more to distribute. All of my card angels are fantastic and have been receiving the cards throughout the past year!” Read more

Improve your world with some favorite lifehacks

The definition of a lifehack is a strategy or technique adopted in order to manage one’s time and daily activities in a more efficient way.

The appeal factor for me is any lifehack that requires a minimal amount of time, energy and financial investment. Here are two of my favorites lifehacks that truly have instantly improved my quality of life.

Home listing gone stale? Refresh it!

As the person who is usually called in to stage a home that has been lingering on the market, refreshing the listing is important. There have been a few incidences when after the homes were staged, new photos were not taken, or new photos were taken but the listing was not refreshed. Refreshing means taking the old listing down and relisting it as new.