Your first outdoor spring project of the year

Doesn't all this snow shoveling make you want to take a little break from it, build a cheery little fire, and roast a marshmallow? We had a little peek at spring with a February Thaw and now SPRING is what is on our brains.
That February Thaw gave us a glimpse at our yards that have been buried all winter and many of us thought of a few landscaping and yard projects we would like to make this spring to enjoy this summer. That is the magic and beauty of a February Thaw. It helps our minds look forward in time and mentally prepare for those projects we want to do with our spring fever energy.

So, lets think about fire pits.
There is magic in a crisp evening and the crackle of a fire giving off its warmth. A few marshmallows and a Hebrew National dog are a good addition to a marvelous evening. If you don't already have some kind of fire pit, it's time.

There are professional custom built, pretty nice fire pits and there are do-it-yourself custom built, pretty simple ones. Whatever floats your boat and your debit card.

It's pretty simple to whip one together with some gravel and landscaping blocks, or even some cinder block and old barrels. The result is about the same - friends, family, laughter, memories, stories, jokes, burnt marshmallows. 

One of the most appealing elements of a fire pit is it's environment and overall ambiance of the area you place the fire pit. You can go for structured and precise with everything in place or more relaxed and casual with an anything goes feel.

As we finish off the late winter and early spring season, let your mind think ahead to warmer days and get those mental projects figured out and put down on paper. If you have a plan on paper, you can get some preliminary shopping completed so when those warmer days appear, you will be ready to get that fire pit dug and laid out. The more you mull ideas around in your head, the better they become. You can figure out the best placement in your yard, the best products to use to get the desired outcome, and the best alterations to make it just how you want it.

Brought to you by Heath Harvey @ HeathsHomes.com

Midway City is looking for a new flag. And you get to be the designer. The newly designed flag submissions are due in 5 weeks, so get cracking. 

Midway City provides you with a design template you can print off, create, and submit. You can access it if you click here.

The Midway Flag website is pretty great and features an entertaining and informative video clip as well as the information from the video to help you in your design.

Midway residents get to vote on the top 5 designs. Yours might as well be an option. Let's do this and make a flag Midway residents can be proud of and that is recognized everywhere.

Brought to you by Heath Harvey @ HeathsHomes.com

Let's hear it for the neighbors

Do you have great neighbors? Maybe it's time you let them know how much you appreciate them. Here are Heath's Favorite Five ways to acknowledge them and show your gratitude for the good things they do everyday.

1. The first thing Heath said was to host a BBQ. 
Of course. A little neighborhood get together with good food is a great way to connect with neighbors. A nice outdoor potluck party in the warm months will make memories. A warm and cozy food get together in the cooler months is also a fantastic way to unite neighbors and enjoy the longer dark evenings.

2. Take care of things for them when they are out of town. 
If they need someone to feed or care for a pet, get their mail or newspaper, water some flower pots, or take the garbage to the curb in their absence, then you might volunteer to help. If there are other simple chores that need to be taken care of in the case of a short absence, having someone close to home taking care of those things and keeping on eye on the house gives peace of mind as well as builds friendships. Be sure to have each other's phone numbers. A little check in text or call can be very helpful if you see something not particularly right at their house. 

3. Be a considerate neighbor.
If you know your neighbors are having an extended family function in their backyard, please don't think it's a good time to mow your lawn. If you know they are recuperating from a surgery, shovel the snow from their sidewalk. If your dog likes to howl at the moon at 4:00 am, take care of it. If your kids leave their front yard strewn with their bikes, scooters, and pogo sticks, clean it up.

4. Take them something.
It's always delightful to get a little snack on a paper plate that you didn't make. There are all kinds of holidays that make it easy to purchase or make a little gift to share with your neighbors. It's nice to know someone thought of you. Delivering a small pot of flowers in the spring, a slice or two of watermelon in the summer, a basket of veggies from your fall garden, or a holiday basket in the winter goes a long ways to show your appreciation and friendship.

5. Stay in touch, listen, and be happy.
With the weather warming up this month and next, you and your neighbors will most likely be spending a little more time outside. That gives you the chance to see each other more than the winter months might have allowed. Be neighborly and exchange greetings when you both happen to be out. Over the fence chats about the weather, family members, upcoming events, or even yard concerns are great ways to stay in touch with your neighbors. And don't forget the smile. A study completed in part by a sociologist at Harvard tells us "When one person in the network became happy, the chances that a friend, sibling, spouse or next-door neighbor would become happy increased between 8 percent and 34 percent, the researchers found."

For most people neighbors are an integral part of life. Hopefully your neighbors are great. If not, step out and be good to them so they have good neighbors. Try to express your appreciation and let them know how much you enjoy them. The month of February gives us 1 hour and 9 minutes more minutes of daylight. Let's enjoy it.

Brought to you by Heath Harvey @ HeathsHomes.com

Two simple recipes you will want to make this week

There is a misconception that REAL, HOMEMADE, BAKED CHEESECAKE is difficult and time consuming to make. Actually, it's incredibly easy and of course delicious. Here are two real recipes that are really good.

Luscious Lemon Cheesecake 
2 packages of 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 ready to use graham cracker crumb crust

Mix the softened cream cheese, sugar, juice, peel and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs and mix until blended.
Pour into crust.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until the center is almost set. Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. 

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
2 packages of 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 ready to use graham cracker or chocolate flavor crumb crust

Mix softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs and mix until blended. Stir in 1/2 cup of the mini chocolate chips.
Pour into crust. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup chips.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until the center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.

See? So so easy. You will be surprised at how quickly it all goes together and how delicious both of these recipes taste. We've enjoyed both of these recipes for the past few months at our home. Happy cheesecake baking!

Brought to you by Heath Harvey @ HeathsHomes.com

Have a look at the quick video and give me a call for more information about this new listing.

801 631-3430

Brought to you by Heath Harvey @ HeathsHomes.com