After a hard day’s work, the thought of plopping into a tub of water and relaxing sounds inviting. To take the fantasy a bit farther, a weekend or week-long trip to a spa would be the icing on the vacation cake. How about your own personal place for…
As the Berks County / Reading area population ages, many seniors are choosing to remain in their home in their retirement years. There are many who prefer to live with their children in a comfortable family environment. This raises the question: “Is our house a suitable aging-in-place environment?”…
Herbert Hoover may have been a little optimistic when he promised, “A chicken in every pot and a car in every garage,” but the general idea made sense — if you liked chicken and had room in your garage for a car. Clutter abhors a vacuum and seems…
The Reading / Berks County area has been pelted by snow this winter. With snow comes snow shovels and snow blowers. We need to clear our driveways, walkways, and sidewalks, but there is one critical area we may not think about: our foundation. With the possible exception of…
According to the EPA, the Berks County area and surrounding counties are listed as Radon Zone 3, which means homes at this highest level are prone to radon levels that require mitigation. Indoor radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and breathing it…
There comes a time when children leave the nest and no longer live with their parents. However, there may come a time when, for reasons of health, economics, companionship, or other circumstances, parents must move in with their grown, and perhaps married, children. According to the Reading Eagle,…
As restrictions related to COVID-19 continue to blanket the Reading area, schools close and open and close, and businesses follow suit, creating logistical nightmares for most families. The words “home office” used to sound like a contradiction, and homeschooling is becoming an unintended reality for families with children.…
As fall descends like autumn leaves, the Lehigh Valley prepares for winter. Retail spaces are already stocked with Christmas decorations, suet is flying off the shelves like juncos, snow shovels are on sale, and quilts are being washed and fluffed. Winter in the Valley means cold and often…
Few things liven up a room or exterior as simply and easily as a new coat of paint. However, choosing the right paint entails more than just choosing the right color. There is a wide variety of types and finishes from which to choose, based on the project.…
Summer is a favorite time for inviting guests over for meals and even overnight stays. Presumably, these are people whose company you enjoy. ’Tis also the season for uninvited guests whose company you don’t enjoy — bugs and little critters. Colonies of little insect families, as well as…