We’ve all been guilty of buying more groceries than we need and oftentimes throwing away food because it’s spoiled or expired. There is now a high-tech solution to this problem called the FridgeCam™ by Smarter. This new home gadget presented at the CES 2017 in Las Vegas, is the first wireless camera that can be placed inside the fridge to keep track of the contents, item expiration dates, and other relevant information. The device connects to the Smarter Chef app, which provides recipe suggestions based on the ingredients in your fridge. It can also help make accurate shopping lists even when outside the home to help families eat healthier meals and save money by limiting food wastage.

Micro apartments or condominiums have become a popular trend in huge urban cities like Vancouver, Toronto, New York, Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, etc. The roots of this “Tiny House Movement” has started in Japan, where the residential land area is limited. Nowadays, limited land space is not the only reason why people are shifting to “living small”, other reasons such as financial concerns, environmental concerns, and the desire to live simply and experience freedom have encouraged homeowners to get into this global phenomenon.

Typically, the micro units are under 600 square feet and have a very minimalist design to create the illusion of space. Latest condo design layouts usually have incorporated ingenious ideas to provide comfortable living space as well as a lot of storage areas, yet still aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

Micro Condos may not be for everyone, however, you should not disregard this idea entirely especially with the new condo designs along with multifunctional furniture ideas that are available right now. Tiny living is all about swapping the size of your home for the benefits in cost, flexibility, location, and efficiency.

Fall is the perfect time to start winter proofing your home so you can enjoy the cold weather with zero worries. Whether you choose to have a professional handle them or do it yourself, here’s a checklist of things you need to go over your house before winter.

Attic Insulation –12-15 inches’ minimum of even insulation is needed to keep heat in the house and money in your pocket. Have your R-value checked by a professional if needed.

Furnace Cleaning – A dirty furnace is less efficient so have furnace inspected and cleaned once a year – before winter. 

Change Air Filter – For healthy, indoor air, change your air filter once a month in the winter months.  Your furnace has to work twice as hard with an air-borne allergen clogged filter.

Vacuum Heating Vents – Take off the covers and hoses to your dryer, bathroom and stove vents and suction out lint and debris.  This will increase efficiency and decrease fire hazards.

Replace Batteries in Detectors – October is Fire Awareness Month so use it as a reminder to replace batteries in smoke detectors, Carbon monoxide alarms and other safety instruments.

Drain Outside Faucets – Water pipes can freeze, swell and burst in the winter months, causing significant damage.  Turn the external shut valve off and open the faucet until the drip stops.

Drain Water Heater –  Drain this annually to help prevent any build up of scale inside the heater.

Inspect Roof Shingles – Shingles protects everything in the home so don’t overlook it. Also include the metal flashing at all the roof joints to look for signs of leaking, rotting or damage. 

Clean Gutters and Downspouts – Use a ladder, gloves and a garbage bag to remove debris from the past year. Run water from a hose through the downspouts to ensure they are unclogged.
 
Install Gutter Guards – Gutter guards are a good idea to minimize the amount of debris accumulated, but you’ll still need to check for clogs once a year in the fall.

Seal Foundation – Repair and seal holes with a quality caulking material. Cracks and holes in foundation are inevitable and can lead to significant damage if not treated.