Keep Bears Out Of Your Backyard!

He's cute until he's in your backyard!

Everyone fears the day that they come home and surprise an intruder. I had a big scare a couple of years ago when I came home and found a bear looking right into my home's windows! I was lucky, and he ran off as soon as he saw me, but you can bet I immediately looked into what I could do to keep bears away from my house!

What I learned, is that after a long, hard winter the bears are hungry and food is scarce. They don't really want to hang out on your patio, but they're always on the lookout for an easy food source. The key to keeping bears off of your property is removing all the "fast food."

• The first thing to keep in mind is that bears have a sense of smell 7 times stronger than yours and they will follow their noses to your yard if you have edible trash in a loosely sealed can, dog or cat food sitting out all the time or even a bird feeder. (And you thought squirrels were the worst threat to your bird seed!)
• If you can avoid putting out garbage more than an hour or two before collection time that would be ideal, but if you can't then make sure your garbage is very well sealed. You should also avoid placing garbage or pet food inside a screened porch. This just encourages bears to try getting inside and they are smart enough to open screen doors with lever style handles and strong enough to tear screens easily.
• Be careful with your grill if you've been cooking outside. Clean it well and, if possible, put it away inside your garage. Bears like the smell of hamburgers just as much as you do. 
• Taking these precautions is especially important if you have a dog. Dogs will often try to defend their yards against bears. If you must leave your dog outside unattended then build a strong fence. A chained dog in an open yard can't run away if a bear attacks, and an unleashed dog is very likely to chase a bear.
• The most important thing to do if you actually see a bear in your yard is to call Animal Control. Bears that are no longer afraid of humans need to be captured and relocated further away from people before anyone gets hurt. 

Come to the Animals for Ava Fundraiser!

Animals for Ava! June 22nd from 6:00 to 10:00 at the Turtle Back Zoo One of my favorite people, Dante Puorro of Investors Home Mortgage, is throwing a fundraising event that I want all of you to know about. Bring your friends and family for an evening of fun at the Turtleback Zoo on June 22nd. Your contribution will raise funds for the National Foundation of Ectodermal Dysplasias. Please read the message from the Puorros below to learn more about this genetic condition and how you can help.  It's going to be an amazing evening for everyone and I hope you'll all come!

(Aluminum) Foil Your Household Problems

I love learning about new uses for common household items. It's a great way to save money on specialty products and feel a little like MacGyver at the same time! Aluminum foil is probably one of the most versatile things in your home, so here are a few tips that will definitely come in handy.

Why I Love Downtown Denville

Denville’s downtown is a special place to me. I love the local restaurants and businesses there because they’re one-of-a-kind; not chains. Write On Gifts is my favorite spot for gorgeous hand painted baby gifts. Sergio’s has the finest Italian specialty foods in the state, and everybody knows that Denville Dairy is the place to go on a hot night for a cool snack. The cooks behind the counter at Grassroots Market are amazing and we're lucky to have great organic groceries so conveniently located. Denville also offers not one, but two hardware stores; both of which offer incomparable service and no hiking across acres of aisles like in the big box stores.

How to Choose the Right Contractor

When you've worked in real estate for as long as I have, you hear a lot of horror stories about home remodels gone wrong. I know people who've had their contractor disappear mid-job and then come back a month later or who've had shoddy work fall apart and then discovered that the company no longer exists, so no one will be fixing it. I also know people who've had perfectly good contractors but gotten into trouble anyway due to loads of unexpected expenses that weren't spelled out in the contract.

Here's a guide to finding someone honest and competent who will take good care of your home.

Jackie's Local Business Spotlight: All Creatures Great & Small Animal Hospital in Denville

Jackie's Local Business Spotlight:

All Creatures Great & Small Animal Hospital in Denville

A Caring & Compassionate Place for Pets & Their Owners

I like to give credit where credit is due, and All Creatures Great and Small Animal Hospital in Denville has earned my most heartfelt thanks.

Solve Your Closet Crisis!

Now that it's time to bring your warm weather clothes out again, it's also the perfect time to reorganize your closet. Don't fall into the trap of just straightening up and then winding up with the same old mess in a couple of weeks. These easy tips will help you get what you really need out of your closet reorganization - a workable, everyday system that stays neat easily.