How to Clean Wood Furniture

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The first thought that probably comes to head reading this is, “I can just use pledge, do my normal clean tactics, and I am good.” Cleaning wood isn’t complicated but there are good ways to do it and not so great ways to do it.

  • cleaning-suppliesCleaning Supplies

 

  • If you want to use something different than pledge, get white vinegar and some olive oil. You will also need some water and a vacuum.

 

  • Prepare the area
    • You have to move things. There is nothing worse for wood than simply cleaning around the area that thing sits on. Move the TV, the picture frames, and the magazines from the area.
  • Vacuum-On-WoodVacuum

 

  • Get the dust off of where you are going to clean so that it doesn’t mix in with the other cleaning products. If necessary get a piece of cloth to remove any dust you can’t get with the vacuum.
  • Clean
    • Mix the white vinegar with water. DO NOT USE A DAMP RAG. Ring it out. Water can damage wood if it gets through the finish. By releasing the excess water you ensure the protection of the wood.
  • Polish
  • white_wine_vinegaAfter removing all moisture, mix the white vinegar and the olive oil and give the wood a nice shine. Test a small area of the wood to make sure you have a safe consistency.

What to do with leftover pumpkin

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Now that Halloween is upon us it’s about time for pumpkin season. If you are anything like us, you love pumpkin and can’t wait for the next two months of over eating delicious pumpkin mixed mostly with sugar. Forget about pie here are some other ideas for that pumpkin.

  • Pumpkin Roll – not quite breakfast not quite a dessert just something really delicious. It consists of a nice pumpkin spice outside and a delicious cream cheese frosting. Eat it with caution… you will become addicted.
  • Pumpkin Spice Cookies – they are simple and easy to make. They have the right consistency of pumpkin to sugar to make it not too 2927014326_b53687cd8boverpowering.
  • Pancakes – in the morning nothing tastes better than some pumpkin and some chocolate chips for good measure.

leftovers

  • Special dishes – a little bit of pumpkin goes well with curry, chili, and macaroni and cheese to bring out the vivid flavors of those dishes.

Pumpkin-Chili

  • Freeze it – pumpkin is cheap and sometimes is not sold in stores outside of the season. By freezing it you can enjoy pumpkin goodies all year round

Things to do: St. George

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St. George is full of beauty and an extremely rich history. From the prehistoric times, to the wild west, to now. Even though you may be a resident or just touring there is always something that you probably haven’t seen. These are just a few of the great things you can do.

  • Zion National Park

 

  • Beautiful red rocks, and scenic views. This is an amazing stop that you have to make. Millions of years in the making for you to view today.

 

  • Dinosaur Museum

 

activities

 

  • St. George has an abundance of dinosaur history and they show it off at their dinosaur museum. Similar to Zion’s the museum gives you a look into the past nearly 300 million years ago.

 

  • Tuacahn Amphitheater

 

 

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  • A nice relaxing night outside is only amplified by the great shows at Tuacahn. Not only are there great actors, but they have a great staff, and production value.
  • Air Tours

 

air

  • View St. George from above in a helicopter or hot air balloon. Being in the air to see the great vast nature of St. George is an absolute must.
  • Outdoor Sports

 

 

 

 

  • Hiking, riding, cycling, water sports, you name ibiket you can do it here. With the nice warm climate that we enjoy there is always something to do outside and the water is always refreshing.

 

 

 

  • Historical Sites

JimJonesExhibit

 

  • There are various different historical sites like Brigham Young’s winter home, Daughters of Utah Pioneers, or the Zion History Museum will teach you a little more about our rich history.

Fun Halloween Decoration Ideas

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Halloween is right around the corner and instead of buying those Christmas decorations that are on sale for some reason, do some fun Halloween ideas. There are a lot of different ideas out there but these are some of our favorites.

 

  • Headless Horseman

 

  • candySpider Plates

 

  • platesPumpkin Cats

 

  • Cobwebs… Lots of cobwebs

 

 

  • Ghosts
    pumpkincats

Photo Credit: Thinkstock

  • Tombstones

 

  • Bats

 

ghost

  • Pumpkin Family

 

 

graveyardbats

 

 

 

 

pumpkin

When is the right time to buy?

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There is never a simple answer when asking the question, when is the right time to buy? There are so many factors that go into decision making and a lot of unknowns in the process. Reasons that are good for you to buy now may not be the same for someone else and visa versa.

 

  • Affordability
    • Don’t worry too much about the market because let’s be honest no one really knows what prices are going to be like. Yes, people can predict but that means nothing. If you can afford the house right now, just get it, who knows how much it will be worth later on.house

 

  • Size Matters
    • How long are you planning on staying? If you plan on living the house for awhile go ahead and get your dream mansion. If you plan on selling in the new future a smaller house would be better because they appreciate more than larger homes.house2

 

  • Where are you?
    • Depending on the location means there will be different utility costs, taxes and homeowner fees. Though a house may be cheap that doesn’t necessarily mean that living there will be too.house3

 

  •  Inspect
    • This may cost you a little bit of money but better safe than sorry. The inspector may be able to find things you couldn’t and end up saving you thousands of dollars.

 

 

  • There is no right answer to home buying. But make sure you are thinking about all the little things that could end up costing you huge in the end. If it feels right it usually is.

 

How to build your dream home: Part 2

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Now that you have the dream, it’s time to make that dream something tangible. This can be quite a nerve racking situation because you’ve never built your own home before, but there are a few things left to do before the house is standing.

1. Talk with an Ence Home Designer

    1. buildProfessionals know what is important because you do not know what is and what is not legal when it comes to building a home. They can let you know what is possible and what is not when it comes to the design.

2. Choose a Location

    1. The location is important because you need to make sure that the plan you are developing is going to fit in the land area. This is also important because you can decide which kind of view you want and what amenities can go with the house.

3. Design the floor plan

    1. Now that you know what you want sit down with an Ence Home designer and figure out how everything is going to work. Remember they are the professional and will let you know what is possible and what is not.

4. Get to work

  1. workStart building and make sure you supervise it on occasion to make sure that what is being done is what you had imagined in the beginning. Watching the creation of your house can be a fulfilling experience because it is your own special project.

How to Design Your Dream Home: Part 1

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We live in a time of ease and personalization. We can basically get whatever we want when we want if we can afford it. There are so many homes out there that have parts of perfection, but none that are perfect. When designing a home it is important to do what you want so you can be happy. In part one we will discuss how to get ideas for designing your dream home.

1.Dream Big.

sunThis is all about you and what you want. Don’t start thinking about the costs of materials, the land, or any other tangible thing. Get lost in your own thoughts and the things that you will want in your dream home. ANYTHING GOES! Don’t get bogged down in impossibility, because dreams don’t deal with the impossible.

  1. Visit Different Neighborhoodsmap

They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery, but you aren’t here to flatter anyone! Remember this is for you. Going to other neighborhoods will show you what you love and what you hate. Paint jobs, design plans, and even the type of landscaping you would like. Don’t copy, reinvent.

  1. Attend open houseshome for sale

This is a great way to see the interior of homes; carpets, room arrangements, bathrooms etc. This is one way of seeing if what you have been thinking about doing is possible. Because of you see it in a home than it possible to do. (Remember the one restriction is that you must be in compliance with home building laws.

  1. Take Some Selfies

forWhen we say selfie we mean… the house by itself. The brain doesn’t remember things exactly how we first saw them the first time, but photos seem to remind of us of the truth. This will be an integral part of the first phase of home design because it starts to make the dream a reality and will help when part two begins.

 

5 Keys to a killer end of summer BBQ

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1. Food- This normally goes without saying but no matter how much all of your friends love you, they want some tasty food. It is important to cater to all of the many different types of tastes out there.food

 

a. Fresh grilled vegetables are a great substitute for those friends who don’t necessarily eat meat.

b. Don’t forget to cook the meat at room temperature for optimum flavor
c. Dry rub is best but don’t massage the meat too much, the meats pours will naturally pull in the flavor
d. Variety, variety, variety. Don’t just do the normal hamburgers and hot dogs. Test your boundaries
2. Family and Friends- Sometimes one of the most difficult part of the BBQ is intermingling friends who have never met each other before.

swim

 

 

a. Keep it small or make it big. The less people there are the more control you can have over the conversation. Whereas making it big creates the likelihood that that there is someone there for everyone.

b. Have activities. This forces people to get to know each other in an none intimidating way.
3. Drink- it is gonna be hot, so make sure that everyone is staying hydrated while enjoying drinks that match the level of your food.

drink

 

a. Water. Provide copious amounts of water to offset the high sugar and sodium levels that other drinks have.
b. Ice. People love cool drinks and if you are throwing a party the last thing you want to do is run out of food or ice.
c. Selection. Make sure people have lots of different things to choose from. Soda, lemonade, water, and anything new and inventive.
4. Temperature – the hottest time of day is between 3PM-5PM, so decide what kind of party you want to have.pool-

a. Water Party – if you have a pool do it during those hot times of day and provide lots of shade for those who don’t want to get in the water.
b. Casual BBQ – Have it later in the day maybe around 6 (people won’t show up until 6:30-7) the sun will be setting and interfere less with BBQ.
5. Ence Home- location is everything. A lot of topics of conversation revolve around the house hosting the BBQ. If you want something you can be proud to talk about choose an Ence Home.

 

ENJOY!homes-

How to stay cool this summer

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Sometimes it just feels like we can’t get away from the heat. When you are at home, here are a few ways to keep the heat at bay.

Use your curtains during the day

curtainsOne of the best ways to keep the heat out of your home is to use your curtains. The curtains will block the heat from the sun and keep your house cool.

Swap for cotton linens

linensFlannel and fleece blankets are meant to keep the heat in. When you switch to cotton linens, you will be cool and refreshed.


Grill

bbqThink of the heat as perfect grilling weather and enjoy a meal outside. Using your stove or oven will only warm up your house even more.


We hope these tips will help you stay cool! If you are interested in customizing a home in southern Utah, please contact Ence Homes.

3 tips for choosing paint colors for your home

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We know that choosing a paint color or even paint colors can be a difficult task. However, we are here to tell you this process can be a little easier when you are aware of these painting tips.

Experiment with colors

So you have finally decided to change up the color scheme in your home. The best thing to do at this point is to try out different colors. All you have to do is dab a little paint on the wall and decide if you are happy with it. If you are not happy with the color, you know to move on to something else.

red-rmDon’t forget about the lighting.

Did you know natural daylight on paint will show the truest color? Most people forget that lighting plays a factor when choosing paint colors.

Consider the other roomslight-room

When you have narrowed your color choices down, tape them on the wall and leave the room. Does your paint chip color compliment the colors in the other rooms? If it does, then you can move forward from there.

roomWell there you have it. We hope this post was helpful. If you would like to build a custom home in southern Utah, please contact Ence Homes and one of our associates would be happy to give you more information.