Great Ways to Volunteer and Give Back this Holiday Season

The holiday season is a wonderful time to give back to those in need.  There are countless ways to give back by volunteering your free time or making a donation of anything from money to toys or clothes.  Holidays can undoubtedly put a financial strain on your household and family but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t ways for you to still give back.  There is no better way to brighten the holiday spirit for yourself and others by making a difference in someone elses life.  Volunteering is a great way to get the entire family involved and teaching your children the importance of helping those less fortunate.  Get creative in your ideas and find your passion! Here are some great ideas for ways to give back this holiday season. 

Be a sponsor for a family in need
Help the homeless: donate warm clothes, coats, blankets, or food to homeless shelters
Serve food at a food shelter
Help to build shelter for the homeless
Hold a coat, winter clothing, or food drive
Serve food on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day
Spend time playing with and taking care of the animals in an animal shelter
Visit a senior center or a nursing home and spend time with them
Volunteer at your church
Donate blood
Donate toys for Toys for Tots or other toy drives
Send Holiday cards or gift packages to those serving in the military overseas
Hold a craft party to create bracelets, knit scarves, hats, or blankets, make bookmarks, or other crafty and kind gifts to pass out at a hospital or a nursing home
Bake holiday treats or cook a holiday dinner to take to a local fire house or police station for those working on the holidays
Gather necessary items for the winter time to hand out to the homeless such as: blankets, winter wear, chapstick, Kleenex, hand lotion, toothbrush, toothpaste, instant hand warmers, coats, snacks, etc.
Collect unused or gently used make-up, perfumes, costume jewelry, clothing, shoes, etc to donate to an abused women’s shelter
Shovel snow for an elderly or person in need for no compensation
Brew hot chocolate, coffee, or tea and pass out to the homeless or people working outside in the cold such as construction workers, mail personnel, crossing guards, police officers, etc.
Donate your time by decorating an elderly center, nursing home, or hospital with holiday décor
Sing holiday carols at an elderly home
Cook a holiday meal and box it up to distribute to families in the hospital during the holidays
Collect stuffed animals to donate to the police station for traumatized children

Some great organizations to volunteer with this holiday season include:

The Salvation Army

The American Red Cross

Habitat for Humanity

Some great websites to seek volunteer opportunities are:

Volunteer Match

MyVolunteerPage.com

Your "Finding a First Home" Checklist

 

 

01/08/2014 at 12:00 pm  •  Posted by Blog Team  •  

Buying a home can be a great investment, and many households dream of starting a family and developing memories in their first home. When it comes to shopping for a property, many first-time homebuyers may be surprised by all the options their real estate agent provides. Luckily, there are several ways prospective buyers can narrow down their home search and find a property that best meets their needs.
The simplest way prospective buyers can begin their home search is to contact a real estate agent and go through a process of elimination by creating a simple checklist that outlines what they’re looking for.

Non-negotiable features
There are a number of home features and characteristics that buyers consider “must haves” before buying a home, therefore it’s important to start with these when making a checklist. For example, home-buyers may require a certain number of bedrooms or bathrooms, prefer to own a large piece of land or refuse to live in a certain neighborhood. These non-negotiable features should be communicated to their real estate agent to ensure that they are fulfilled before individuals spend time visiting home staging events.

Negotiable features
In some cases, buyers may want to own a home that features double bathroom sinks or borders two school districts. If these factors are important to buyers, but will not necessarily prompt them to turn away from a home sale, they should also be on the list. Real estate agents will work to meet all of a buyer’s guidelines, so buyers shouldn’t leave out the little amenities that may make a house feel more like a home.

Neighborhood caveats
You know what they say… “Location, Location, Location.” Choosing the right neighborhood features is almost as important as choosing the right home features. Neighbors, school districts, crime rates, amenities, costs and activities will be a part of a homebuyer’s life for years, so it’s crucial to take these factors into consideration as well when drawing out a list of wants.
Lastly, buyers shouldn’t get discouraged if it takes some time to find the right home. Finding a house that has all the necessary features is worth the wait, and any additional quirks or home features can be altered to meet a buyer’s needs.

Budget-Friendly Fall Home Decor Ideas

Fall is filled with colorful trees and leaves, pumpkins and gourds, wool socks and knitted blankets, roaring fire places, mugs of hot apple cider, and plenty of earth tones.  What is better than having a home that encompasses all that Autumn entails?  There's no need to spend tons of money on creating Fall home decor.  Make your home warm and cozy and ready for Fall.  Here are several great ideas to spend time with your family and to turn your home into a Fall-ready haven for little to no money.

Put up a wooden coat rack to hang your light Fall jackets and sweaters

Place thick knitted or wool blankets on the couch, love seats, and window benches

Paint small pumpkins with modern designs and place in the kitchen and dining room

Put a woven basket at the front door for light scarves, leg warmers, and Fall hats

Add natural elements throughout your home such as crabapple branches, oak leaf stems, pumpkins, gourds, bowls of apples, and colorful leaves on branches

 

Put the natural element decor in vintage bottles, rustic boxes, and woven baskets

Cut and utilize tree branches for things such coasters, picture frames, pot holders, and more

Create beautiful Fall centerpieces filled with pomegranates, peartree flowers, and colorful foliage

Stack firewood in the home and cozy up beside the fireplace

Decorate your outdoors with Autumn leaf wreaths, bright orange pumpkin lined walkways, and tea light candles

Light delicious-smelling candles around the home to create a warm and happy environment.  Some great Fall scents are cinnamon spice, warm apple pie, pumpkin pie, firewood, lush berries, sugar and spice, warm vanilla bean, vanilla bourbon, crisp morning air, and many others

Warm up your screened-in porch by placing wool blankets, large plush pillows,  warm candles, and Fall foliage décor

Take citrus fruits like oranges and lemons, press cloves into them, and place in a boiling pot of water.  This is create a warm comforting scent in the air

Display small glass jars of Fall spices including whole cinnamon sticks, all-spice, cloves, whole nutmeg, vanilla beans, and others on the kitchen counter

Place small glass bowls of Fall candy and snacks like candy corn, chestnuts, hazelnuts, roasted nuts, marshmallows to be roasted, and more throughout the kitchen and family areas

Plant seasonal flowers in rustic terracotta baskets for your outside and inside décor

Create and paint rustic signs out of pieces of wood or use rustic small chalkboards around the home and at the front door that say “Welcome”, “Give Thanks”, “Family and Friends”,  “Fall”, “Happy Halloween” and other warm sayings

Take small pumpkins and paint your address number on them to display at your front door

Decorate the front of your home with tall corn stalks

Use a small red wagon as décor for your outdoors.  Fill with pumpkins, a sign, foliage, and lanterns

Add a rocking chair to your front porch, sun room, or living room.  Toss a fleece or wool blanket over the top

Hang rustic frames on the wall for décor of many uses

There are various ways to give your home a nice warm and cozy Fall feeling for very little money.  Rummage through the thrift store to find great pieces to paint, refurbish, decorate, distress, and use for your Fall home décor. Use what is already in your home, garage, and storage.  Make it a family event to brain storm ideas and create lovely Fall home décor.

Tips to Make Your Home Back-to-School Ready for the Entire Family

  

Before buying anything new, check to see what clothes and supplies your kids already have.

Throw out anything extremely worn out, with holes, too small (unless their good for hand-me-downs), or stained beyond repair.  Wash everything that needs to be washed before school begins.

Make a list of exactly what your kids need which can help you stay on budget while at the store.  You can wait a week or so after school begins to buy any markdowns!

Clean and get organized.  As school weeks go on, things tend to pile up, get misplaced, or wind up in the wrong spot.  Have a designated place for everything and make sure your kids know where everything belongs such as shoes, coats, lunch boxes, backpacks, etc.

Get your kitchen, cabinets, and pantry clean, organized, and stocked.  Make it easy for yourself to get breakfast done quickly, lunches prepared for the next day, and dinner cooked easily at night.  Match all containers with their lids so food prep is simpler. 

Buy or make a large calendar or dry erase board to help your family stay organized with daily activities.  Kids like knowing what to expect for the day. 

Buy or make a chores chart that your kids can keep track on.

Have a good homework area set up.  Children need a good place where they can focus on their homework and have everything that they need.

Clean, organize, and set up the kids’ bedrooms.  Children need a clean, calm, and peaceful place to get sleep at night. 

Clean and organize your closets.  Buy closet organizes or clear bins if needed.  Having an organized closet makes getting ready in the morning easier for everyone.

Make space in your storage and coat closets for kids to hang jackets, backpacks, and to store sports equipment. 

Use a file cabinet for parent slips, report cards, letters, and anything else that helps keep papers organized and easy to find. 

Buy desks, closet organizers, plastic organizing bins, dressers, shoe racks, and a bookshelf if needed.  Check at resale stores, recycling centers, or online for affordable furniture that you can repaint and refurbish to you and your children’s liking.

Sold Our 100th Listing for the Year!!

Thank you very much to all of our buyers and sellers! Because of you, we have just sold our 100th listing for the year!  We are also so proud to say that we have surpassed our volume from last year in just 8 months! We love what we do and we couldn't do it without our buyers and seller!  Thank you!!

If you or anyone that you know is looking to buy or sell a home, be sure to contact me at jenniferhupke@gmail.com or 262-613-2548 or visit www.jenniferhupke.com to view my listings!

August 2015 Southeastern Wisconsin Festival List

Enjoy the beautiful August sunshine at any of the fun-filled festivals in Southeastern Wisconsin! Music, food, shopping, family-fun; there's something for everyone!

 

1- Mamies 33^rd Anniversity and Pig Roast

3300 W. National Avenue., Milwaukee

                                   

2- Sacred Heart Croatian Festival

917 N. 49^th Street., Milwaukee

6-16 Wisconsin State Fair

Wisconsin State Fair Park

7-8 Waukesha BluesFest

Naga-Waukee Park, Delafield

8-9 St. Joseph Fun Fest

S89 W22650 Milwaukee, Big Bend

8-9 USA Triathlon Championships

Milwaukee Lakefront

8-9 Morning Glory Fine Craft Fair

Marcus Center for Performing Arts

13-16 Irish Fest

Henry Maier Festival Park

14-16 St. James Family Fest

830 County Rd NN East., Mukwonago

15-16 St. Louis Parish Festival

13207 Country Road G., Caledonia

20-23 Milwaukee A La Carte

Milwaukee County Zoo

21-22 St. Agnes Parish Festival

12801 W. Fairmount Ave., Butler

21-23 Our Lady of Lourdes

3722 S. 58 Street., Milwaukee

21-23 St. Sava Serbian Days

3201 S. 51^st Street., Milwaukee

21-23 St. Rita Family Festival

4339 Douglas Avenue., Racine

21-23 Mexican Fiesta

Henry Maier Festival Park

27-30 Muskego Festival

Racine Avenue & Pioneer Dr., Muskego

28-30 St. Matthias Parish Festival

9306 W Beloit Rd., West Allis