Rosemary 1,347 sq.ft  2 bedroom, 2 bath luxury rambler complete and loaded with upgrades. Enjoy granite, hardwood, stainless steel appliances and fenced side yard that is private.  Master bedroom has large walk-in closet.  Plan #7150 on lot 146. MLS #218802.  $219,950

Calla Lilly 1,363 sq. ft 2 bedroom, 2 bath home with open kitchen, dining and living area.  This luxury rambler has a large walk-in closet in the master bedroom and all the upgrades you would want. Enjoy granite counters, full tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and more.  Rear yard fully landscaped and fenced.  Plan #7130 on lot 157.  MLS #231405. Home complete and ready for occupancy. $219,950

Lilac 1,490 sq.ft 2 bedroom, 2 bath home with 2-car garage with opener.  Large walk-in closet in master.  Gourmet kitchen opens to living and dining room.  Loaded with upgrades including stainless steel appliance package, hardwood, granite counters and more.  Fully landscaped and private side-yard fenced.  Home complete and ready for occupancy. Plan #7180 on lot 107. MLS #190736. $224,950

Saffron 1,686 sq ftThis open floor plan concept home has 2 bedrooms with a den or optional 3 bedrooms with 2 baths, gas fireplace, granite counters, hardwood & more.  Enjoy stainless steel appliances, white painted millwork throughout,  private side yard fully landscaped and fenced.  Plan #7190 on lot 184 complete. MLS #239025 $239,950.

Iris 1,764 sq.ft 3 bedroom, 2-1/2 bath home plus loft area with open kitchen to large great room.  Enjoy a separate dining room AND shop area in 2-car garage with opener.  Gourmet kitchen with granite counters and stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors, tile and more.  Fully landscaped with fencing.  Home complete.  Plan #1764 on lot 154. MLS #276217 $239,950.  Price includes side-by-side stainless steel refrigerator.

Poppy 1,940 sq.ft 3 bedroom, 2-1/2 bath home with open floor plan concept.  Gourmet kitchen opens to living and dining room and when finished will have slab granite counters white millwork, hardwood & much more. Enjoy stainless steel appliances, garage door opener with full landscaping and fencing. Plan #7270 on lot 172 to be complete by Feb 10.   $249,950.

Primrose 1,950 sq.ft.  This is our Home of the Month where you can receive $2,500 in FREE upgrades. 3 bedroom, 2-1/2 bath home with large master bedroom, 5-piece bath and huge walk-in closet.  Enjoy granite, hardwood, tile & more!  House comes with complete kitchen appliance package including side-by-side refrigerator.  Home is complete and ready for occupancy.  Fully landscaped with backyard fencing.  Plan #8210 on lot  153. MLS #175071.  $234,950

Lavender 2,100 sq.ft  One of our most popular plans! 3 bedroom, 2-1/2 bath home with convenient upstairs laundry and large dining/great room area.  Bonus room has closet making home a possible 4 bedroom.  Home under construction to be completed April 1, 2012.  Finishes include white painted mill-work, granite counters, hardwood, stainless steel appliances, full landscaping & more.  Backyard completely fenced and landscaped.  Plan #7260 on lot 120. $249,950.

Kensington is located of College and 45th in Lacey, Wa. For more information visit us at www.homesfromepic.com

By: Joseph D’Agnese

Conduct a do-it-yourself home security check by walking around your house to assess what needs to be done to reduce the risk of a break-in.

1. Keep your home well-maintained on the outside.

Burglars want an easy target. Stand on the street outside your house and ask yourself: Does my property look neglected, hidden, or uninhabited? A front door or walkway that’s obscured by shrubbery offers crooks the perfect cover they need while they break a door or window. To improve security, trim shrubs away from windows and widen front walks.

2. Install motion detector lights.

All sides of your house should be well-lit with motion-activated lighting, not just the front. Simple motion-activated floodlights cost less than $50 each, and installing them is an easy DIY job if the wiring is already in place.

3. Store your valuables.

Thieves want easy-to-grab electronics, cash, jewelry, and other valuables, though some are not above running down the street with your flat-screen TV. Most make a beeline for the master bedroom, because that’s where you’re likely to hide spare cash, jewelry, even guns. 

Tour each room and ask yourself: is there anything here that I can move to a safe deposit box? Installing a home safe ($150 to $500) that’s bolted to your basement slab is a good repository for items you don’t use on a daily basis.

4. Secure your data.

While you probably won’t be putting your home computer in a safe anytime soon, take steps to back up the personal information stored on it. Password protect your login screen, and always shut off your computer when not in use (you’ll save energy, too!) Don’t overlook irreplaceable items whose value may hard to quantify, like digital photos.

5. Prepare ahead of time in case the worst happens.

• Take a photo or video inventory of items of value in your home, and store the file online or in your home safe.

• Check that you’re properly insured for theft. Note that high-ticket items in your home office, such as computers, professional camera equipment, or other business essentials, may require an additional rider or a separate policy.

By: G. M. Filisko

An annual check-up on your homeowners insurance can result in a healthier policy and a healthier pocketbook.

What type of coverage do I have?

The most effective type of coverage is known as “replacement cost,” which covers, up to your policy limits, what it would take today to rebuild your house and restore your belongings, says Jerry Oshinsky, a partner at Jenner & Block in Los Angeles who has represented homeowners in litigation against insurers.

“Extended” replacement cost coverage provides protection to your policy limit, say $500,000, and then perhaps another 20% of the cost after that. Percentages vary, but in this example you could recoup up to $600,000 on a $500,000 policy, assuming your losses reach that high. Extended coverage can compensate for any unanticipated expenses like spikes in construction costs between policy renewals. Now harder to find due to the industry shift toward extended replacement coverage, “full” or “guaranteed” replacement coverage covers an entire claim regardless of policy limits.

A less attractive alternative is “actual cash value” coverage that usually takes into account depreciation, the decrease in value due to age and wear. With this type of policy, the $2,000 flat-screen TV you bought two years ago will be worth hundreds of dollars less today in the eyes of your claims adjuster. Kevin Foley, an independent insurance broker in Milltown, N.J., favors replacement cost coverage unless you can save at least 25% on the premium for going with actual cash value coverage instead.

Even if you have replacement cost protection for your dwelling and personal property, don’t assume everything is covered. Structures other than your home on your property—such as a detached garage or swimming pool—require separate coverage. So too do luxury items like jewelry, watches, and furs if you want full replacement cost because reimbursement for those items is typically capped.

How much coverage do I really need?

OK, now that you’re clear on what type of policy you have, you need to figure out how much policy you truly require in dollar terms. Let’s say you purchased your home five years ago and insured it for $200,000. Today, it’s worth $225,000. Simply increasing your coverage to $225,000 may nonetheless leave you underinsured. Here’s why.

The key to determining how much dwelling coverage you need isn’t the value of your home but the money you’d have to pay to rebuild it from scratch, says Carlos Aguirre, an agent for Liberty Mutual Insurance in Arlington, Texas. Call your local contractors’ or homebuilders’ association and inquire about the average per-square-foot construction cost in your area. If it’s $150 and your home is 2,000 square feet, then you should be insured for $300,000.

There’s no rule of thumb for how much your homeowners insurance should cost. Insurers use numerous factors—age, education level, creditworthiness—to determine pricing, so the same policy could run you more than your neighbor. In recent years the average annual premium was $804. Oshinsky advises against scrimping on insurance because big increases in coverage probably cost less than you’d think. He recently purchased a liability policy that cost $250 for the first $1 million in coverage. Adding another $1 million increased his premiums only $12.50 more.

How can I lower my premiums?

The higher your deductible, the amount you pay out of pocket before coverage kicks in, the lower your premium. Landing on the appropriate deductible level requires remembering that insurance should cover major calamities, not minor incidents, says Foley, the independent insurance broker. Most homeowners should be able to absorb modest losses like a broken window pane or a hole in the drywall without filing claims. If you can, then you’re wasting money with a $250 deductible.

Foley’s rule: If you’re a first-time homeowner and don’t have a lot of savings, moving up to a $500 deductible will probably stretch your budget. However, if you live in a ritzy home and drive an expensive car, then you should be able to afford a $1,000 deductible. In Milltown, N.J., for example, the premium for a $200,000 home with a $500 deductible would be $736, according to Foley; moving up to a $1,000 deductible drops the annual premium to $672. That’s $64 in savings.

Every major insurer offers discounts to various groups, such as university employees or firefighters. Figure about 5%. Ask which affiliations would entitle you to a discount and how much. If an AARP membership would result in a $50 savings, pay the $16 dues and pocket the $36 difference. Many insurers also offer discounts ranging from 1% to 10% or more for installing protective devices like alarms and deadbolt locks, for going claim-free for an extended period, or for insuring both your car and your home with the same carrier.

By: Gwen Moran

A home inventory of your belongings for insurance purposes is a relatively inexpensive way to make any future claims go smoother.

Take pictures of your belongings

Photos of your belongings go a long way toward demonstrating ownership and value. Digital photos are preferred, since they’re easier to print and store. A decent digital camera costs less than $100. Be sure to get full-room shots, as well as close-ups of items. Don’t neglect to photograph possessions inside drawers, cabinets, and closets.

Video is even more convenient and effective, especially since you can record audio along with the images. Describe items and any identifying details as you film your home room by room. Digital camcorders are available for less than $150. It’s a good idea to keep backup copies of digital files and hard-copy printouts in a safe place. (More on storage options below.)

Prepare a written home inventory

Images alone aren’t enough. You should also prepare a written home inventory. Your insurance company will likely ask for one if you ever file a claim. Include as much identifying detail as possible, such as serial numbers, brand names, purchase dates, and estimated costs. Keep a copy off-site, perhaps with a friend or in a bank safe-deposit box, in case your home is damaged or destroyed. Download our free home inventory worksheet to get started.

Home inventory software is also available. Enter information on your possessions, attach digital images, and store the data electronically. The Insurance Information Institute has a free program called Know Your Stuff, or there are a number of programs available for purchase.

Be sure to attach receipts to your home inventory list. If you’re storing your records electronically, you’ll want to scan receipts at a copy and print shop or purchase a scanner. Pick one up for as little as $50 at an office supply store. Digital copies of receipts come in handy if originals are damaged or lost.

Safe ways to store your records

When backing up digital files, a USB drive–sometimes called a “thumb” drive, due to its small size–can be useful. Buy one for as little as $5. Simply copy the files onto the drive and keep it somewhere safe, preferably away from your home.

You can also stash a drive in a pre-packed emergency “go” bag, which should be accessible in case you need to evacuate quickly. An external hard drive can perform the same function, though it’s less portable.

You can use a bank safe-deposit box to store paper records, drives, and other valuables off-premises. Rent may range from about $25 per year for a small box to more than $100 for a larger box.

If you like to keep important documents closer at hand, consider a fireproof safe, which is usually waterproof as well. You can find small safes for as little as $50, but a more representative range for good residential fireproof safes is $150 to $300. Larger, high-end safes can cost more than $1,000.

When your home inventory files are electronic, it’s relatively easy to use online backup systems to keep digital copies outside of your home. That’s a big plus if your computer is stolen or destroyed. Some backup services like Mozy offer limited storage space for free, while others like Carbonite charge $5 or more per month. Choose a backup service whose features fit your needs.

By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon

A new study says home owners won’t see their utility bills drop until they’ve conducted four or more energy upgrades. Here are projects that will give you the greatest bang for your energy buck.

I’ve long suspected that saving energy is like saving calories: Small measures add up, until a Thanksgiving pecan pie — or a dazzling holiday light display — wrecks a year’s worth of small though consistent efforts.

Evidently I’m right, according to a new study claiming that doing a couple of small, energy-saving measures actually increase utility bills. And that a home owner must perform at least four energy upgrades before their utility bill drops.

The 450-page study, conducted by the eco-curious Shelton Group, found that energy-efficient home owners think they should replace water heaters and install a higher-efficiency HVAC system, though they actually replace windows and add insulation.

We think they’re half right: Adding insulation, especially in the attic, is a low-cost way to reduce utility bills. But replacing windows requires a huge upfront cost, which you probably won’t live long enough to earn back.

To see net-net savings — in your lifetime — select upgrades that reduce energy consumption by 5% and require modest initial investments. We suggest:

• Seal and insulate ductwork through unfinished and unheated areas, such as the attic, garage, and crawl spaces.

• Install a programmable thermostat so you don’t overheat your house when you’re away or asleep.

• Seal air leaks around windows, doors, attic access, and recessed lights.

If you’d like to see first-hand energy efficiency new home construction, visit a Rob Rice Homes new home community today.  Our model homes are open every Friday through Tuesday 12-5PM.  For more information go to: www.homesfromepic.com.

By: John Riha

Are you suffering from the winter blues? Or, worse, seasonal affective disorder (known as SAD)? If so, try these daylighting tips to perk you up.

Do you get moody when cold weather hits? Feel blue when skies are gray?

Most likely, you’ve got the winter blahs — a normal reaction to being shut inside for weeks at a time when you’d rather be outside digging in the garden and firing up the barbecue.

But for some, the reduced daylight hours of winter are a real problem. The issue is worse right about now — the days around the Winter Solstice, the day with the shortest daylight hours of the year.

Fact is, lots of people suffer from the condition in various degrees. For some, it’s simple moodiness that goes away when a friend comes by for a cup of tea. For others, the sense of gloom is harder to avoid. It’s estimated that 20% of the U.S. population has some form of SAD.

Thankfully, you can help fend off Seasonal Affective Disorder with some basic home improvement projects. Letting in as much daylight as possible is a good way to combat the winter doldrums and get yourself back in the pink.

• Add a skylight

• Install solar light tubes

• Trim plants and trees that block daylight from getting in your windows.

• Make sure curtains and blinds remain open to daylight.

For more information and other tips to deal with SAD (or even mild cases of the winter blahs), see our article, 9 Ways to Increase Daylighting and Fend off Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Solar tubes, available from Sunset Air, www.sunsetair.com are installed in many Rob Rice Homes new homes.  When asked why Rob install them in some of his houses, he is quoted as saying:  “They provide a lot of light even in the darkest of winter.  They are relatively inexpensive so in many of my homes I install them during the construction process.  They work great in kitchens and hallways.”

If you’d like to see a Solar tube first hand, visit one of our fully furnished model homes open Friday through Tuesday 12-5PM.  For more information, go to: www.homesfromepic.com.

Written by – John Riha – Thanks to Houselogic for this fabulous top ten list of home owners resolutions.

When the new year arrives, promises and resolutions abound. Here’s the top-10 list of what the resolute home owner should accomplish this year.

Ready for 2012? Here it comes:

1. Lose weight (cut energy use)

2. Quit smoking (purify indoor air)

3. Get out of debt (budget for improvements)

4. Learn something new (educate yourself on home finances)

5. Get organized (de-clutter)

6. Volunteer (support your community)

7. Drink less (curb home water use)

8. Spend more time with the family (share home improvement projects)

9. Get fit (exercise your DIY skills)

10. Be less stressed (use maintenance-free materials)

1. Lose weight (cut energy use)

Your house is a glutton, gobbling energy like a starved elephant. Gain control by trimming energy use.

A good place to start is your HVAC ductwork. Ducts are notorious energy-wasters, leaking your heating and cooling air through holes and loose connections.

Sealing and insulating your ductwork can improve the efficiency of your heating and cooling system by as much as 20%, saving you $200 per year or more, according to Energy Star. You’ll make your home more comfortable, and a more-efficient system helps extend the life of your furnace, air conditioner, or heat pump.

Because ducts are usually hidden inside walls, ceilings, attics, and crawl spaces, sealing and insulating them may be a difficult and time-consuming DIY job. If you can’t reach all your ducts, concentrate on those that are accessible.

Use duct sealant — called mastic — or metal-backed tape to seal the seams, holes, and connections. Don’t use the confusingly named “duct tape,” which won’t provide a permanent solution. Be sure to seal connections at vents and floor registers — these are likely places for leaks to occur.

After sealing your ducts, wrap them in fiberglass insulation. Most hardware stores and home improvement centers have insulation wrap products made for ducts.

A professional heating and cooling contractor will charge $1,000 to $4,000 for the work, including materials, depending on the size of your home and accessibility to your ducts.

Insulating your ductwork may qualify for a rebate from your state or local municipality. Check the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency.

2. Quit smoking (purify indoor air)

The EPA lists indoor air quality as one of the top environmental health hazards. That’s because indoor air is full of potential contaminants, such as dust, mold spores, pollen, and viruses. The problem is at its worst during winter, when windows and doors are shut tight.

You can help eliminate harmful lung irritants in your home with these maintenance and improvement tips:

Maintain your HVAC system and change furnace filters regularly. Use the highest-quality filters you can afford ($10-$20) and change every month during peak heating and cooling seasons.

Keep indoor air pristine by using low-VOC paints when you remodel your rooms.

Use localized ventilation in kitchens and bathrooms to remove cooking fumes, smoke, and excess humidity. Make sure ventilation systems exhaust air to the outside of your home, rather than your attic crawl space or between ceiling joists.

In fireplaces and wood stoves, burn real firewood rather than pressed wood products that may contain formaldehyde.

Use a portable air cleaner to help cleanse the air in single rooms. Portable air cleaner types include mechanical air filters, electrostatic precipitators, ion generators, and ultraviolet lamps.

Note that each type of air cleaner is designed to remove specific pollutants; no portable air cleaner removes all pollutants. Be wary of air cleaners that generate ozone — a known lung irritant.

3. Get out of debt (budget for improvements)

Creating a yearly budget for home improvement and maintenance helps prevent overspending, and encourages you to put aside money for major replacements — such as new roofing or a kitchen appliance — that come up every few years.

Protect your home finances by knowing how much you’ll probably spend each year. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau says that average annual maintenance and home improvement expenditures are about $3,300 per household. Leading lending institutions agree; HSH Associates and LendingTree.com place average costs of yearly maintenance and upkeep at 1% to 3% of your home’s initial price.

That means the owner of a $250,000 home should budget between $2,500 to $7,500 each year for upkeep and replacements. Have extra at the end of the year? Save it for more costly upkeep and replacement items down the road — you’ll probably need it then.

4. Learn something new (educate yourself on home finances)

Want a little education that goes a long way toward your financial health? Learning how to improve your insurance score can help you keep your home insurance premiums from getting out of hand. Here are a couple of easy lessons:

Letting credit card debt build up is a black mark on your credit history — and an indicator that you’re likely to file an insurance claim. The more claims, the higher risk you appear to be to insurance agencies, which lowers your insurance score. Low scores mean higher rates for home insurance.

Keep payments on loans up-to-date. Don’t miss payment deadlines; if you do, notify your lender that your payment is forthcoming. Delinquent payments signal insurers that you can’t manage your money — resulting in a lower insurance score.

Need some Home Owner 101? Any time is a good time to bone up on basic home maintenance skills.

5. Get organized (de-clutter)

No excuses — that clutter has got to go! Start by creating more storage space so you can stash stuff easily.

At wit’s end for new storage space? You’ve probably got storage solutions you didn’t know you had. Put up a high shelf between the walls of a narrow hallway, and tuck storage in out-of-the-way nooks, such as under-stairs spaces and between wall studs.

If your small home is pinched for space, don’t despair: There’s still room for storage. Shoe organizers ($20) do more than hold shoes — use them to store keys, notepads, and cell phones. At about $300 per drawer, have a cabinetmaker install drawers in the toe kicks of your kitchen cabinets for napkins, cookie sheets, and appliance manuals.

6. Volunteer (support your community)

In a world that often seems topsy-turvy, a little altruism helps restore balance. You can volunteer your time and energy to help others, and at the same time help promote safety and preserve the value of your neighborhood.

A neighborhood watch program fosters a sense of community and helps stop crime. Set up a meeting with neighbors to discuss concerns and priorities. Gather facts to present at the meeting: What kinds of crimes happen nearby? Are there patterns? Ask a local police representative to come to your first meeting to answer questions.

Start a community garden. Bring together neighbors for bonding, eating healthier, and saving on groceries. A 4-by-16-foot raised bed garden plot provides $200-$600 worth of food annually. As the organizer, you can expect to spend 20-30 per month for six months getting your community garden going.

7. Drink less (curb home water use)

Our houses are thirsty. The average household uses about 400 gallons of water each day, or almost $700 per year in water and sewer costs. Making a few simple changes, such as installing EPA-certified WaterSense products, could trim up to $200 from your annual water bill. Add to that energy savings from reduced costs to heat water, and your yearly savings could reach $300 or more per year.

Low-flow showerheads include technology that reduces the amount of flow yet keeps pressure up, resulting in shower streams that are powerful and satisfying. They cost from $10 to $150, and installation is an easy DIY job that takes only minutes.

Replacing your pre-1994, water-guzzling toilet with a low-flow toilet prevents $90 worth of water costs from being flushed away. HE (high-efficiency) toilets use compressed air and electric water pumps to flush with less than 1 gallon of water; older models required up to 8 gallons.

8. Spend more time with family (share home improvement projects)

Spending quality time with your family takes quality planning — but it’s worth the effort. Rally your family around these fun-to-do projects to make every minute count:

Plant a tree. Pile the clan into the family wagon and shop for a tree that’ll become a new member of your family. Have your kids name it and help care for it. You might have to dig the hole, but everyone can take turns adding mulch and watering it. A bonus: planted where its shade will protect your house from summer sun, a $50-$100 tree cuts your yearly energy bill by $100 to $250.

Make a home emergency preparedness kit. Make a scavenger hunt of gathering up all the necessary supplies, such as flashlights, toilet paper, and duct tape, and assemble your kit during an evening together. It’s a good, non-scary way to teach small children about what to do if there’s an emergency.

 9. Get fit (exercise your DIY skills)

Looking to trim a little of the old spare tire? Routine home maintenance and repair is a double win — you’ll burn calories while keeping your house in tip-top shape. Try these essential fix-ups and improvements from CalorieLab:

Building a fence: 340 calories per hour

Caulking windows and doors: 280 calories per hour

Cleaning rain gutters: 272 calories per hour

Installing ceramic tile: 238 calories per hour

Interior painting: 136 calories per hour

Chopping firewood: 340 calories per hour

Mowing the lawn: 306 calories per hour

Planting shrubs: 238 calories per hour

General gardening: 204 calories per hour

10. Be less stressed (use maintenance-free materials)

 If you want less to worry about, install low-maintenance materials and products designed for durability and long, trouble-free service.

Fiber-cement siding lasts for 50 years or more. It’s weather-proof, and resists dents, fire, insects, and rot. It’s exceptionally stable, even with changes in humidity, so that paint jobs last longer than on wood and wood-fiber siding products.

LED bulbs last a phenomenal 20,000 to 50,000 hours between changes, or about 18 to 46 years when used for 3 hours each day. Although the initial cost is high (about $40 per bulb), LED bulbs pay for themselves in energy savings in about 10 years.

Classic ceramic tile comes in many colors and textures, but at its heart it’s incredibly tough, stain-resistant, and impervious to moisture. You can count on ceramic tile’s good looks to last for decades on floors and walls without needing repair or replacement.

By: Jeanne Huber

Seal air leaks around your windows and doors to prevent wasting precious home heating and cooling energy that costs you money.

Check for air leaks

With windows and doors closed, hold a lit stick of incense near window and door frames where drafts might sneak in. Watch for smoke movement. Note what sources need caulk, sealant, and weather-stripping.

Seal air leaks around windows

If you have old windows, caulking and adding new weatherstripping goes a long way toward tightening them up.

• Bronze weatherstripping ($12 for 17 feet) lasts for decades but is time-consuming to install.

• Self-stick plastic types are easy to put on but don’t last very long.

• Adhesive-backed EPDM rubber ($8 for 10 feet) is a good compromise, rated to last at least 10 years.

Nifty gadgets called pulley seals ($9 a pair) block air from streaming though the holes where cords disappear into the frames.

Seal air leaks around doors

Check for air leaks, and replace old door weatherstripping with new.

• Foam-type tape has an adhesive backing; it’s inexpensive and easy to install. If it comes loose, reinforce it with staples.

• Felt is either adhesive-backed or comes with flexible metal reinforcement. it must be tacked or glued into place. It’s cheap and easy to install, but it has low durability.

• Tubular rubber, vinyl, and silicone weatherstripping is relatively expensive and tricky to install, but it provides an excellent seal. Some types come with a flange designed to fit into pre-cut grooves in the jambs of newer doors; check your existing weatherstripping and replace with a similar style.

Check exterior trim for any gaps between the trim and your door frames, and the trim and your siding. Caulk gaps with an exterior latex caulk ($5 for a 10-ounce tube).

Seal door bottoms

If a draft comes in at the bottom, check the condition of the threshold gasket. Replace worn gaskets. If you can see daylight under the door, you may need to install a new threshold with a taller gasket ($25 for a 36-inch door). Or, install a weather-resistant door sweep designed for exterior doors. ($9). Door sweeps attach directly to the door and are easy to install.

Forget the housing depression, cook up a storm with BMC Lumber’s Best Made Chili.  BMC Lumber provides all the lumber and windows for every Rob Rice Home and recently Rob had the opportunity to enjoy a bowl full of this chili made by our friends at BMC Lumber. When we asked Rob for his favorite recipe, he immediately said, “I’ve got it.  BMC Chili is what we’ll make every Christmas Eve now.  It’s so good it has to become a tradition in our family.”

The secret to this recipe is the bittersweet chocolate and the venison.

1 tbsp Vegetable oil

1lb  Small diced onion

1 tbsp Minced fresh garlic

1-1/2 lbs Ground Venison

1  25 ounce jar chili sauce

2 tbsp Light chili powder

¼ cup Dark chili powder*

1 block Bittersweet chocolate

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

In a heavy bottomed pot, sauté the onion and garlic in the vegetable oil until golden brown.

Add the venison to the onions and cook until it is about medium-rare.  Do not stir the beef around too much- you want to have some large clumps of venison in the finished chili.

Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until it is just blended.  (It may seem like a lot of powder but that’s why they call it chili!)

Cook the chili over medium heat for about 10 minutes, just until the meat is fully cooked.  Don’t overcook it!  Serve the chili with ice cold beer and condiments like shredded sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream, minced onion and your favorite corn bread.

*The light chili powders have more of the hot seeds or flakes ground with the pods.  By using more of the dark powder the chili is a little sweeter. If you can’t find light chili powder, just using a little bit extra of the dark powder will taste great.

Homemade gifts are the best, especially when they are cookies! Every year my sister and her kids bake dozens of cookies for family and friends. They are all yummy and my favorites are lemony shortbread cookies that look like little snow balls.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! ~ Heather

 My Sister Lisa’s Lemony Shortbread Cookies That Look Like Little Snowballs 

3/4 cup butter softened
2 Cups sugar (1/2 cup set aside)
Zest of two lemons
2 large egg yolks
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
pinch of lemon extract
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sour cream

Beat butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar and lemon zest until lightly creamed. Add Sour cream and beat until blended. Add egg yolks, lemon juice and lemon zest and beat until blended. In a separate bowl, add flour, salt and baking powder and stir to combine. Add to wet ingredients and beat until blended. Chill dough for one hour.

LINE BAKING SHEETS WITH PARCHMENT PAPER (important! this is a light cookie and you don’t want burned bottoms!) Place remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl. Shape dough into 1 inch balls, roll in sugar and place on cookie sheet . Bake for 20-25 minutes in a preheated oven (350 degrees) Remove to wire racks to cool. Sprinkle with light covering of powdered sugar after cooled.