Author Archives: GioHomes

Cleaning the dirtiest spots in your home

Germs and bacteria are unwelcome guests at our homes. We may not see them, yet they’re everywhere – on your doorknobs, your couch, your kitchen sink, your coffee maker – the list goes on and on.

Germs are not only nasty, they cause all sorts of problems as well, like allergies, illness and infection. The sad part is, no matter how often we clean our homes, a small amount of germs will always be present.

One of the best ways to significantly reduce the amount of germs however, is to target the most notorious breeding environments. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the dirtiest spots in our homes, and how we can effectively clean them.

Kitchens are the filthiest

A common misconception is that bathrooms are the filthiest areas in a home, but according to a study conducted by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) International, kitchens harbor way more germs than bathrooms – which is definitely a cause for concern since this is where we keep, prepare and eat food.

NSF conducted tests on 22 different households, and found Coliform bacteria on more than 75% of the dish sponges or rags, 45% of kitchen sinks, and 32% of kitchen counter tops. Coliform bacteria is a type of bacteria that includes strains such as Salmonella and E. Coli, among others.

Eliminating the germs

Needless to say, if you want to keep your family safe from germs, the kitchen is definitely one area you should focus on.

Below are some of the dirtiest parts in our kitchens, as well as some effective tips from NSF on how to keep them germ-free:

Kitchen sinks – Wash and disinfect all sides and the bottom part of your kitchen sink once or twice a week. Use a solution of one teaspoon bleach, one quart water and pour it down the drain and disposal at least once a month.

Kitchen sponges or rags – Heat wet sponges or rags in your microwave (set to high) for two minutes everyday.

Countertops – You clean these every day, but there’s always a better way to clean them. NSF recommends using hot, soapy water, rinsing, and applying a mixture of bleach and water afterwards.

Faucet handles – Simply rinsing faucet handles with water and wiping them is not enough. Use disinfecting cleaner or wipes on your faucet handles daily.

Cutting boards – Place your cutting boards in the dishwasher after every use, or hand-wash them with hot, soapy water.

Take a look at more home improvement tips by visiting this page.

The White Plains Performing Arts Center

Photo courtesy of WPPAC Facebook page.

The White Plains Performing Arts Center is a 410-seat state-of-the-art professional multipurpose theater located in the City Center building in downtown White Plains. Completed in 2003, the center provides the community with a full array of cultural and performing arts programs, as well as year-round activities.

The theater was the result of a 20-year project, which sought to provide residents of White Plains as well as nearby communities easy access to an intimate and comfortable venue to enjoy unforgettable live performances.

It was also created to be used as a professional space for local artists, educational institutions, and special interest groups looking for a place to host meetings, hold special events, or present their own performances.

Conservatory Theatre

The White Plains Performing Arts Center is home to the Conservatory Theatre, which is Westchester’s only youth theater and educational organization housed in a professional theater. The Conservatory offers year-round professional workshops, training sessions, and presentation programs for theatrical talents aged 10-25.

Training programs at the Conservatory focus on engaging the youth and providing knowledge about the art of theatre, encouraging them to reach their full potential in expressing themselves artistically. Known as the region’s premiere theater training organization, the Conservatory holds the students to high professional standards, at the same time providing them with the tools and knowledge required to meet and exceed those standards.

Some of their programs include:

The Summer Theatre Academy
Creating Broadway
Voice and Piano Lessons

Rentals

The theater is also available for rent as a venue for concerts, recitals, corporate events, social outings, fundraisers, business meetings, and other special events.

The minimum rental time for the venue is five hours, and fees include the services of a staff consisting of a production manager, a light board operator, a sound engineer, a deck hand, and a house manager.

Additional items such as projectors, instruments, dance floors, and promotional options are also available.

In addition to the White Plains Performing Arts Center, there’s plenty of superb attractions available in the community. Visit this page for more information.

Things to consider when relocating to a new city

It’s always important to keep in mind that there are certain factors that can affect your future when you move to a new city.

While relocating to a new area can certainly be exciting, it can quickly turn into a disaster if you fail to plan ahead. Here are some of the biggest factors to consider when you’re moving to a new city:

Prices

Property prices vary from city to city, and some areas are better if you plan on renting. Before you look for homes to purchase in a certain area, it’s a good idea to give yourself plenty of options – take a look at the prices of different types of properties within the same area.

When applying for a loan, one of the major factors lenders consider is your credit score, so make sure you keep your credit in check several months before you apply.

Basic necessities

The cost of basic needs such as health care, utilities, and even groceries vary in every place, so be sure to do some research. One thing to also consider is how you can get from place to place in the city you’ll be moving in – how far is the drive from your home to the office? Can you use public transit? Transportation costs can significantly affect your monthly savings.

Career opportunities

If work isn’t the reason why you’re moving to another area, it’s a good idea to look at the job diversity in the new city you’ll be moving to. Consider your interests, and see if career opportunities you’re eying are available.

Quality of life

One of the biggest things that will change when you move is your quality of life. Take a look at some of the things you enjoy in your current area, and see if the new area offers the same things. For example, if you and your family regularly enjoy dining out, make sure you’re moving to an area with a good variety of restaurants.

It may seem simple, but quality of life can greatly affect your happiness in the long run.

For more helpful info on relocating to Westchester County, take a look at our Relocation Guide.

Westchester events to check out this month

Looking for an interesting event to check out in Westchester County? Here are some great events to enjoy this month:

And Still We Rise: Race, Culture, and Visual Conversations

Held at The Bruce Museum in Greenwich, And Still We Rise is an exhibition depicting over four centuries of African-American history through a combination of images, textile, and quilts. The unique exhibit was developed by over 50 artists from the International Women of Color Quilter’s Network.

The exhibit runs until April 4, 2016.

After 1965

Held at the Neuberger Museum of Art in Purchase, After 1965 is an exhibit showcasing works from the late 60s to the early 70s. These works are the reflection of a significant period in history, one with massive changes that continue to reverberate even to this day.

The exhibit will be open until March 13, 2016.

Rhythm in the Night

Photo courtesy of Westchester Community College

This post-St. Patrick’s Day celebration is a musical rendition of the tale of Balor, as he makes his way out of the dark world. The journey is told through Irish step-dancing performed by a very talented troupe composed of 18 dancers. The battle scenes, lightning-fast rhythms, and orchestral atmosphere all combine to give audiences a performance they won’t forget.

Rhythm in the Night will take place on March 20, 2016, at the Academic Arts Theater in Westchester Community College.

Find out more about the different activities and events you can enjoy in Westchester by visiting this page.

Fantastic destinations in downtown Pleasantville

Downtown Pleasantville

Pleasantville’s downtown area boasts a diverse array of fascinating establishments, ranging from theaters to bakeries, delis to bookstores, and more.

Encompassing eight blocks, downtown Pleasantville is one of the charming features that make living in the area enjoyable – residents can always look forward to shopping for interesting finds, enjoying a delicious meal, or joining a fun-filled event.

Here are some great destinations to visit in downtown Pleasantville:

Jacob Burns Film Center

One of the area’s most famous establishments, the Jacob Burns Film Center is a non-profit cultural arts center dedicated to the art of cinema.

The Spanish Mission-style film complex was built in the 1920s, and is a great place to check out for moviegoers and film buffs looking for film showings of documentaries, independent films, foreign films, and works by classic and modern filmmakers.

Jean-Jacques Culinary Creations

Jean-Jacques Culinary Creations is a café with patisserie/bakery as well as a full-service caterer for weddings and events. Owned and operated by Chef Jean-Jacques Gabrillargues along with his son and daughter, the café offers a range of delectable culinary delights, which include sandwiches, paninis, wraps, quiches, salads, entrées, soups, French cakes, and specialty items.

The Village Bookstore

The Village Bookstore is an independent bookstore that has won multiple “Best of Westchester” awards over the years. The bookstore features a cozy atmosphere along with an impressive inventory of great titles to choose from.

The shop also hosts literary events such as workshops, author readings, and poetry contests.

The Marmaduke Forster House

The Marmaduke Forster House was a farmhouse originally built in 1786. Throughout time, it has undergone various architectural changes, from Gothic Revival to Queen Anne, with some of the elements from different eras overlapping to create a truly unique appearance.

Today, the architectural masterpiece is one of Pleasantville’s treasures, and is included in the National Registry of Historic Places.

Want to know more about Pleasantville? Check out our previous article here.

The 8 Stages of Buying a Home

Are you finally thinking of buying your own house? Congratulations!Before you take the plunge, you may want to learn more about the8 stages of the home buying process.

Get pre-qualified

If you’re serious about buying a home, the first step is to determine how much you can afford. This involves having your financial profile assessed. You’ll be asked about your income, debt, and assets.It’s a fairly simple process you can do online or over the phone.
Getting pre-qualified shows you the amount for which you may qualify for a mortgage.

Hire a local agent or a broker

Find someone who has a great track record. You will want to check if they havegood reviews from both buyers and sellers. There’s nothing like a word-of-mouth recommendation!

At this very early stage, an agent will also be able to help you go through the next stage of the process, which is pre-approval.

Get pre-approved

The pre-approval process is a more in-depth version of the pre-qualification stage. It involves getting your financials thoroughly checked, including your credit report, and crucially, your ability to buy a home.

Here, you’ll need to fill up a mortgage application and surrender your financial records to the lender. Your agent can help you identify, if not gather, the required documents to complete the process.

Once you’ve been pre-approved, you’ll know two things:

The specific amount forwhich you qualify for a mortgage
A fair idea on the interest rate you’ll be charged on the loan

Decide where you’d like to live

Now that you’ve been pre-approved, it’s time to think about the kind of community you’d like to belong to. Scour the Internet and read up on areas and specific neighborhoods you see yourself living in. Create a checklist of what you deem important, including amenities, commutes, and cost of living.

Return to your agent

Meet with your agent and discuss the kind of home you’re looking for based on your pre-approval and your neighborhood checklist.

Your broker may probe you about your current needs and future plans to make sure you get the kind of home you can grow with. Are you a new couple looking to have kids in the near future? Or are you a retiree who may need outside assistance down the road?

Your agent will look through available listings and arrange viewings of homes that fit your bill.

Have the property inspected

Once you decide to make an offer on a home, have it inspected within days of the seller accepting your offer. A professional home inspector will make sure there are no issues related to structural integrity, plumbing, cracks, heating, etc. If there are potential problems, your agent will talk to the sellerto renegotiate the original offer or figure out how to settle repairs.

Have the home appraised

Your lender will contact a third-party appraiser to make sure the home you intend to buy is fairly priced.

Finalize your loan

Work with your lender to ensure the terms of your mortgage match your priorities. Do you want your monthly payments fixed? What if you plan to move again in a few years; what’s the best product to answer that need?

As you go through these 8 steps, your agent will be there to complete the paperwork, negotiate on your behalf, and ensure that no detail is overlookedas you move towards theclose of the sale.

If you’re looking for homes in Westchester County, New York, contact us today.

6 Budget-Friendly Ways to Spruce Up Your Yard

Whether you own a home with a small lawn or a property with acreage, there are many money-saving ideas to beautify your yard. Even better, you don’t even have to break a sweat on some of the highly effective tips that follow:

1. Paint it

Nothing could be simpler then painting the exterior of your home for instant curb appeal. Choose paint color in neutral shades like beige, taupe, or light grayto complement the landscaping features of your yard.

2. Stain it

You can do more than wash your patio. Consider renewing it with concrete stain, a water-based product you apply by spraying onto a wet concrete floor. Once it dries, the stain becomes a permanent part of the surface. You can also reapply the stain to obtain a darker hue, or experiment with a checkerboard pattern. Concrete staining is cheap, foolproof, and effective.

3. Pave it

Add interest to a grassy expanse by creating a pathway. You can do so by using simple materials like pavers or quarter-inch crushed rocks.

4. Plant it

Nothing works like lush greens and flowering plants to vivify your yard. Add succulents and unusual perennials like veronica, sage, and allium for a modern feel.

5. Unify it

Aside from improving soil health, mulch can also be the perfect fillers for your flowerbeds and exposed soil.Adding mulch to these areas unifies the look of your yard.

6. Go vertical

Adding a few vertical details can be a quick and easy way to spruce up your yard. A trellis is a great accent to your garden.It can be an elegant focal point, serve as a threshold to a flower bed or vegetable patch, or become a pretty arbor for garden chairs.

If you’re looking for homes in Westchester County, New York, contact us today.

Say Goodbye to These Home Design Trends

Open kitchen shelving

Let’s face it: open kitchen shelves look good but are impractical. Just think about the dust accumulating on your dinnerware and grease splattering on kitchenware.

Update it with: Stylish cabinets using mixed materials and deeper kitchen drawers. You can add chic black stainless steel appliances (predicted to be big this 2016).

Driftwood

While driftwood is an interesting home accent, it can be troublesome to maintain. Unless you actually live on the coast,decorating your home with driftwood has been deemed out of style this year.

Replace it with: Real plants and flowers to decorate your living space.

Black and white

Although using black and white in the master suite or dining area continues to bring sophistication and glamour to a room, it can get dull after a time.

Update it with: A burst of color (like royal blue or bright pink) and some unique accents. Wood, for example, gives warmth to a stark white room.

The color marsala

Marsala is a reddish brown hue created by world-renowned color authority Pantone. It was named after the wine of the same name and in 2015, the company declared marsala the color of the year. It was used widely for accent walls, carpeting, and upholstery.

Replace it with: Pantone’s new colors for 2016: the blush-like Rose Quartz and the dusty blue Serenity. Combined, they represent “connection and wellness, as well as a soothing sense of order and peace.”

Chintz and floral prints

Floral is a trend that’s endured for so long it’s become a classic. Over the years, floral evolved and became stylized (in geometric or watercolor treatments, for example). However, some classics must be set aside to refresh a room or make a home look more contemporary.

Update it with: Simple, unfussy patterns.

If you’re looking for homes in Westchester County, New York, contact us today.

Take your Kids to the Greenburgh Nature Center

Photo courtesy of Greenburgh National Center Facebook Page.

Photo courtesy of Greenburgh Nature Center Facebook Page.

If you’re searching for a new place to take your kids during the weekend, the Greenburgh Nature Center is a terrific choice.

Located just off Central Avenue in Scarsdale, the 33-acre preserve offers children a fun, interactive, and educational experience with nature. The sprawling nature preserve boasts over 30 acres of woodland, two wetland sites, educational exhibits, and hundreds of fascinating wildlife species.

Here are several attractions available in this scenic hidden paradise:

Hiking trails

The Greenburgh Nature Center’s Blue Trail offers a memorable outdoor adventure for visitors. The trail is about 1/3 mile in length starting from the back of the main building, circling around Woodfrog Pond, and back to the starting point.

Hikers on the Blue Trail will be treated to a scenic adventure on unpaved paths surrounded by wildlife, majestic oaks, dogwoods, viburnum shrubs, wildflowers, and mushrooms.

Native plant meadow

See a fascinating collection of indigenous plants, birds, butterflies, and other wildlife at Greenburgh Nature Center’s native plant meadow.

Visitors can enjoy a leisurely stroll along the meadow’s walking paths or quietly observe the beautiful surroundings in the comfortable seating area.

The native plant meadow also serves as the venue for the center’s annual live butterfly exhibit during the summer.

Indoor exhibits

Greenburgh Nature Center’s live animal museum boasts a massive collection of more than a hundred species and a diverse variety of plants collected from all over the world.

In addition to its plant and animal collection, the museum also hosts nature-related photo and art exhibits featuring the work of talented local and visiting artists.

Nature camps

The Greenburgh Nature Center offers educational camps where children can enjoy a wide range of nature-based activities and games. They’ll be able to interact with animals, create artwork, develop essential survival skills, and learn more about the vast wonders of nature.

Family-Friendly Activities and Destinations in Rye

Known as a predominantly residential community, the city of Rye boasts plenty of fantastic attractions and fun things to do for residents of all ages.

If you’re planning a weekend trip or looking for new places for you and your family to visit, here are a few of the best activities and destinations to enjoy in Rye:

Playland

Rye Town Park and Playland

Open since the late 1920s, Playland is an amusement park that has entertained thousands of families with its assortment of thrilling rides and attractions.

The 280-acre park is home to the iconic Dragon Coaster, one of the few operational wooden roller coasters in the country. Open since 1929, the classic ride features over 3,400 feet of track, and a maximum height of approximately 85 feet.

Playland is especially popular during the summer, as many visitors take advantage of the nice weather to enjoy the park’s paddle boat rides, swimming pools, and live concert series.

Oakland Beach and Rye Beach

Located along the same stretch of sand, both Oakland Beach and Rye Beach are perfect for families looking to enjoy a relaxing day under the sun.

Enjoy a long walk along the coastline, bring a blanket and umbrella and relax on the sand, or enjoy a refreshing dip in the ocean (or the nearby swimming pool, in case it gets too hot on the beach).

Rye Town Park

Rye Town Park is a terrific place to relax, soak in the beautiful scenery, and enjoy outdoor activities with the entire family. Included on the National Register of Historic Places, the 62-acre park has provided unforgettable memories for generations of families for more than a hundred years.

Features include nearly 30 acres of lawns with pathways, picnic areas, gazebos, a naturalized duck pond, and an expansive beachfront with magnificent views. There’s also a restaurant and snack bar where residents can fuel up after a tiring day of outdoor fun.