Add some local love to your gift-giving list

It’s Christmas, which means you’re probably up to your ears in holiday shopping madness, and with so many people to buy for, you might be running a bit thin on ideas. 

To help you out, I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite local gift makers right here in the great state of Connecticut.  After all, what better way to show some hometown spirit than to give our local economy a little holiday cheer?

Dan and Lindsey from D&L Woodworking in New Britain create really neat home décor using reclaimed wood to craft beautiful American flag motifs. Starting from $75, these one-of-a-kind pieces would look great on any patriotic living room wall.

Keep the heads of your family and friends warm with a hand loomed alpaca beanie from Peterson Sweater Company. They are warm, comfortable and great for the slopes.

Stock The Bar Candles repurposes old beer bottles and turns them into long lasting organic soy wax candles. You can even pick one up from local favorite, City Steam Brewery. They come in a variety of scents and can be custom made to order.

Hartford Prints is a great place to look if you need a little inspiration. These three printmaking sisters have an assortment of Connecticut goods, from aprons to artwork, available both online and in their store in the capital city. I am eyeing the cherry wood earrings for my daughter in California to make sure she doesn’t forget where home is!

Need a stocking stuffer or two?  Look no further than B. Meyer Studio out of New Haven. Bethany’s handcrafted Connecticut shaped Christmas tree ornaments show a little home state pride and look really cool on the tree. She also makes great small tables and triangular shelving units.

King Bull Creations makes unique cheese boards with a river running through them, literally. Each board is hand carved using pine and then treated with an epoxy resin inlay, and Nick Bull painstakingly makes each and every one in Ridgefield. It’s a perfect gift for jazzing up the finger food table.

Leah Beckett from Herd Supply Co churns out some killer soap from her sheep farm in Glastonbury. I like the charcoal and coffee bar for a good scrub after a dirty day on the job. She splits her time between Boston and Connecticut, but she leaves the flock here at home when she heads north.

This last one’s not exactly local, but hey, it wouldn’t be a contractor’s Christmas gift guide without a cordless drill.  For a lightweight tool to use around the house, I like the Bosch DDB181-02 Compact Tough Drill. It packs enough punch to use on the job but is still light enough to make a novice feel comfortable. Plus, at under $100 on Amazon, it won’t break the bank.

Happy Holidays!

Protect your home from winter drafts

If your house has old doors, winter can be a drafty time of year. Luckily, there is an easy, do-it-yourself fix to help you keep the cold air out and the warm air in where it belongs. Here is my guide to sealing your doors before the cold sets in.

Examine your current weatherstripping for any rips, bends or wear and tear. In older doors, the seals usually deteriorate before the doors themselves, which will allow air to pass through. If you can feel a draft coming from the edges around a closed door, it’s time to give them a little facelift.

Measure the top and sides of your door jambs with precision; you want the fit to be snug and airtight. I always say, measure twice and order once! Once you measure the doors, you’ll find the materials that you need either at the local hardware store or online on any home improvement retail site. In addition to weather stripping, you might also need a sweep, which is the strip along the bottom of the door that looks like a tiny broom and keeps the gap between the door and the floor sealed. If yours is damaged or has broken off in parts, now is a good time to replace it. Luckily, basic individual weatherstrips and sweeps can cost as little as $10 each, which is a lot less than investing in a new door.

Just like painting, when you start weatherproofing you’ll need to begin on a clean surface. Scrape any old debris so the gap is free and clear. You want to make sure your gap is in good shape to lay the strips evenly and you need to have enough room for the strips to grip properly.

Finally you can install your new weatherstripping. Cut it to size before you put it into the groove and ensure that you don’t stretch the material to fit – it will return to its original size and leave you short. Secure it firmly into the groove and open and close the door to look for any protrusions or gaps.

Weatherstripping is a quick, inexpensive fix that will help you stay warm in the winter and give your heating bill a noticeable break. But just like any home improvement tasks, if you’re not comfortable using basic tools and equipment, you might want to leave the job to a professional. Either way, keep your family warm this winter and take some time for yourself to enjoy the holiday season.

Decorate Your Home Safely this Holiday

It’s December, which means it’s time to light up the house with holiday cheer. But before you go trimming your home with festivity and lights, there are a few things you should know about hanging wreaths, lights and décor safely, so your home stays damage free and you don’t end up in the emergency room.

When hanging lights and decorations outside of your home, be sure to use a safe ladder that sits on level ground and can hold your weight properly. Always have someone with you to act as a spotter and don’t ever attempt to hang décor that’s out of your reach.

If you’re going for the Griswold effect, make sure you read the labels on your lights to ensure you have the right wattage levels and that they are certified for outdoor use. The last thing you want to do is overload your circuits and end up in the dark, or with a nasty shock. Inspect older lights for bad bulbs and stripped wires, and replace problem strands with new ones. I recommend LED lights, which run cooler, are more energy efficient and will have less of an impact on your power bill. Make sure all your lights are plugged into ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs), which can be found at the local hardware store.

When hanging heavy décor such as wreaths, do not drill holes into your vinyl siding. Once the wreaths have been removed, the holes will enable water to get underneath the material, causing potential mold, mildew and leaks. Instead, purchase some heavy-duty siding hooks, which can be found at any home goods store this time of year. They will be able to withstand the weight of your decorations without damaging your home.

If you’re putting Santa and his sleigh to top of your home, make sure to secure him and any other inflatables tightly to withstand any wind and bad weather. Also, use the opportunity to inspect your roof for any missing or damaged shingles. Finally, take a look at your gutters to make sure they are free from debris and ready for the winter. Roof and gutter wear can cause leaks during the snow season, so it’s better to get them repaired now before it’s too late.

Speaking of preparing for the snow, here’s one last tip. Grab some reflecting stakes from the hardware store and place them along the perimeter of your yard, where it meets the road and your driveway. These place markers will help snow plowers see where your yard begins and can help them navigate their snow removal without tearing up your lawn.  

Do you have another holiday safety tip to share? Send it to me on Facebook.