This post comes from Marilyn Lewis at partner site Money Talks News.

Homes take a beating on the outside, from wind, rain, sun, insects and snow. Summer gives you a chance to repair damage, protect your home and keep its face to the world looking bright.

Home maintenance is like housework, flossing and exercise: You might as well work it into your routine, becausethe penalties are worse than the jobs themselves.

Here's just one example: Cleaning the gutters costs nothing if you do it yourself, and roughly $100 to $200 if you hire a service. Ignore the job, though, and a ruined roof or damaged foundation could cost you thousands or tens of thousands of dollars to repair. Here's why:

Here's our list of easy summer maintenance projects and how to do them as cheaply as possible.

1. Paint

Fresh paint doesn't just make your home look great. It's a protective skin against UV light and moisture.

Earth911 tells where to get free paint:

Call your city to ask about your local HHW facility. Other sources for cheap paint:

2. Mulch

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12 cheap and easy summer home projects

Contact Toys for Tots 262-633-1379 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays between 8 to 11:30 a.m. for more information. Toys for Tots is located at 800 Center St., the same hours. Toys and supplies also can be dropped off at any fire station east of the interstate, Kortendick's Hardware and Wells Fargo Bank on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

Dress for Success Racine

The mission of Dress for Success Racine is to promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support, and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and life. Job-ready women come to Dress for Success Racine by referral from a range of nonprofit or job placement agencies. Each client receives one suit for her interview or job fair and additional clothing when she becomes employed. Every woman deserves a success story.

What we need:

Donations are accepted by appointment at 5540 Durand Ave., Suite B-296, Racine. Call 262-898-5530 to make a donation appointment or for more information. More information is also available at http://www.dressforsuccess.org/racine.

Racine Theatre Guild

Call Beth or Doug at 262-633-1250 or stop by 2519 Northwestern Ave. from noon to 6 p.m. weekdays. For further information on RTG, visit http://www.racinetheatre.org.

River Bend Nature Center

Donations may be dropped off at the River Bend Nature Center located at 3600 N. Green Bay Road, Caledonia, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. If you have any questions regarding items, programs or volunteer opportunities please feel free to call us at 262-639-1515 or email info@riverbendnaturecenterracine.org.

RADD

Read more:
How can you help? Wish list from local nonprofit organizations, June 1

Gutter Installation Perth
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Gutter Installation Perth - Video

BY JONATHAN YOUNG

THE GAZETTE

Stillwater residents will be charged more when the city does road work on their blocks in the future. But the city hopes the change wont be drastic.

On May 20 the city council approved an increase to the portion of road projects the city will charge in assessments to homeowners.

In recent years, the city has asked homeowners whose properties benefit from reconstruction or resurfacing projects to pony up half the cost of the project. The other half of the money has come from other funds the city had built up.

Those funds have run out.

In fact, for the past two years, the city has only done projects on state-aid roads main roads that act as collector streets leading to a county or state highway because the city receives money from the state gas tax to help pay for those projects.

The shortfall didnt happen without warning, however. When I came here 12 years ago, I told the council then, this is not a sustainable way to fund projects, City Administrator Larry Hansen said.

About eight years ago, Hansen estimated, he asked the city council to consider other options for funding street projects, and the council at that time rejected the proposals.

And so we got by, Hansen said.

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Street work may cost you more; Stillwater raises percentage properties benefiting from roadwork pay

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Continued development of the Route 611 commercial corridor to Doylestown and Willow Grove helped put Warrington on home buyers' radar.

This development includes the Shops at Valley Square at Route 611 and Street Road and a 24-hour Wegmans, Spadaccini said.

"If you are looking for a four-bedroom, 21/2-bath with a garage and basement for an affordable price, it is Warrington," she said.

In the last six months, 101 houses have sold here, she said, from a $118,000 Cape Cod on an acre but in need of work, to new construction at Toll Bros.' Warrington Glen for $632,725.

These are not first-time buyers, but "someone who may be moving up from a condo or smaller house," she said.

The 130 active listings range in price from $169,900 for a flat to $687,700 (again, at Toll's Warrington Glen), Spadaccini said - with 39 of these under contract.

Of the 130 actives, 86 are resales, she said, adding that there are several other builders at work in Warrington these days.

Among them is Pulte Homes, which is building "upscale townhouses" starting at $365,000 at Warrington Pointe, she said.

There are also active-adult communities, including Katz Builders' Lamplighter Village and Meridian of Valley Square, Spadaccini said.

Good prices are not the only thing Warrington real estate has going for it. Frank Faber, owner of Faber Realty in Warminster, mentions both location and the Central Bucks School District.

Read more:
Town By Town: Route 611 development sweetens Warrington housing market

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Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) June 02, 2014

Chi-Lightful is the merging of Paulas previously three established businesses: over a decade of experience as both Feng Shui practitioner / Author, and Animal Communicator (The Heart of Conversation), along with her over 25 years as a branding / design / and Visual Storyboarding artist.

Nancy H., San Diego, CA / Executive Coach remarks about Chi-Lightful You have created a great business utilizing all of your skills and expertise - I am impressed!

Nita K. in Los Angeles, CA sums up Paulas feng shui results: She worked on my home and it is like magic. Paula is not only talented, but has great integrity and her intuitions can lead me to be more peaceful in my home. I can live, work and create joy and abundance now.

The effect of Paulas flowing from the heart with animals is reflected by Kimberlee B. of Grand Haven, MI: Paula has an amazing gift to be able to connect to the soul of an animal and to talk with them and bring comfort to both the animal and the owner. She is a blessing to all animals that she comes in contact with giving them a voice.

To Find Your Flow is the promise of Chi-LIghtful. A unique consultancy company that guides people, their business, homes, and pets, through positive shift or change, to flow into focus, harmony, clarity, and well-being. Chi-Lightful is the blending of Paula Browns intuitive (Feng Shui, Animal Communications) and visual branding artistic skills (Visual Storyboarding) creating a new way to tell and change story for homes, business, people and their pets.

Expert at moving chi / energy, Paula is a catalyst and guide for creating healing shifts. She facilitates change; guiding new flow, comfort, and positive breakthroughs, by applying Feng Shui in homes and business (and even pets!). Using her Visual Storyboarding / Illustration talents she helps her clients see their story, tell it with clarity, to birth new ideas for environment, product, travels and learning journeys. Paulas quick art journaling of brainstorming record the expression of new ideas for corporate culture. Her third skill of communication; her Animal Communications, is where she finds and facilitates positive flow from the heart with pets and their people.

With Chi-lightful, Paula offers both in person and remote consultations. Her Feng Shui consultations include working on and off site with individuals, designers, and realtors, bringing more positive flow of chi and energetic cures to environment and space. Paula is well known for her Animal Communications with empathetic remote talks, in person heart to heart conversations, use of energetic tools for balancing (dowsing and flower essence practice), as well as teaching workshops and guest speaking. Both on and off-site work is offered with Paulas Visual Storytelling. She provides sketch journaling for travels, classes, quick visual brainstorming notes, and meeting illustrations expressing and inspiring storytelling for corporations.

Paula is an experienced educator, artist, and author. Her book Fur Shui. An Introduction to Animal Feng Shui is available in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., translated to Italian, and was featured on CBS: The Early Show. She offers workshops, classes, and guest speaking for corporations, holistic and alternative organizations and foundations.

Chi-Lightfuls purpose is to ignite authentic flow, to realize the BE MORE (>Energy >Light >Action) for home, business, pets, and people, moving all into becoming powerful positive influencers in making the world a better place.

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Paula Brown; Feng Shui Consultant, Animal Communicator, Visual Storyteller, Forms Chi-Lightful: an Inspired Source ...

Omaha native brothers are making headlines in the baseball world, professionally and at the college level.

Conor and Casey Gillaspie both played baseball at Millard North High School. Now, Conor Gillaspie is having a great season playing third base for the Chicago White Sox. Casey Gillaspie is generating a lot of talk approaching the MLB draft.

The younger Gillaspie granted KETV a recent interview, just wrapping up what could be his final season at Wichita State. As a junior, he finished with a .402 batting average, hit 11 home runs and had a perfect stolen base percentage (8 for 8).

"Looking back at the season, I didn't really look at my numbers, just tried to go out and play the best that I could to help my team win, Gillaspie told KETV.

Wichita State didnt make a regional, but Gillaspies excitement continues. He is nominated for the 2014 Golden Spikes Award and is projected to be a highly touted first baseman in the upcoming Major League draft. The Millard North alumni said hes not picking favorites, he just wants to be picked.

I just want the opportunity to go to the right club thats a good fit for me, said Gillaspie. I know how it works, you never know who's going to pick you, when or where. Whatever will happen's going to happen and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to play professional baseball.

Gillaspie has seen the process before; his older brother Conor Gillaspie, who also played baseball at Millard North, now plays third base for the Chicago White Sox. Monday he had four hits, including three doubles, the first White Sox player to do it since 2012.

Sometimes its weird when I turn on a ball game and see my brother playing, said Gillaspie. It's fun to watch. I still think about the days when we were both in Omaha, hitting in our backyard and stuff. I don't think about him in Chicago, playing for the White Sox.

Conors advice to his younger brother, is the same advice Casey has for kids dreaming of playing in the majors.

Id just tell them to enjoy it, said Gillaspie. Have fun. You never know when your time is up, when you cant play the game anymore.

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Omaha brothers swinging for the fences