Tag: Omaha Contractor

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Show Your Home Some Love

February. The month of love. You might be considering what to get that special person in your life. I recommend grilling a good steak at home and cuddling on the couch afterwards eating brownies and ice cream, but Valentine’s Day inspiration isn’t my intention for this blog post. I wanted to give February a different spin and offer some ways to show your house some love! Soon it will be spring and we will want to be outside as much as possible. Let’s take advantage of this indoor time period and show our homes some lovin’.

1. Clean the Fridge (and the Freezer, Too)

You’re about to have all sorts of fun produce to load up in your fridge, so take this time to clean out your frig and make it shine again. Think of the grapes, watermelons, lettuce that will soon take over your frig space! Plus ice cream and ice pops in the freezer. Make things easier for ‘Future You’ and make the space now. Pull out all of the drawers and racks and wash them. Clean the inside with a de-greaser or scouring pad to get rid of sticky residue. Replace that old box of baking soda with a fresh one and don’t forget to vacuum the condenser coils on the back! Your fresh veggies will thank you!

2. The Oven

If you can’t see thorough your oven window or if you’re getting used to that smell of food burning every time you preheat, then it’s time to clean your oven! If you have an oven with an auto-clean cycle, it’s important to wipe out any big spills first to prevent flare ups.
For manual cleaning, try using a natural paste of baking soda, water and liquid dish soap instead of harsh chemicals.
Be sure to wipe up grease and grime spills as soon as it happens instead of letting it sit inside your oven and get harder as time goes on.
Clean that thing now and it’ll be pristine and sparkly when you are ready to fire it up again.

4. Carpet and Rugs

Carpets accumulate a lot of dust, dirt and even fungi over time, all of which are unsightly, unhygienic and can be potential health hazards. Up to 80% of carpet dirt is loose and on the surface, and can be removed with regular vacuuming. Kinda makes you want to vacuum right now, right?
Let’s further extend the life and appearance of your carpets as well as banish those really stubborn bugs and stains with regular deep cleaning.
It’s well worth renting steam-cleaning equipment or hiring a professional carpet cleaning company to do the job.

4.Windows Inside and Out

Clean, clear windows make any room feel lighter and cleaner simply by letting more light in, and the more natural light you get, the less electricity you use! How’s that for a fun fact? Not to mention, the lighter the room, the lighter your mood!
When cleaning your windows, wipe the inside up and down, and the outside left to right. If you end up with streaks, you’ll know which side they’re on. Don’t forget to wash screens and sills/tracks.
Are your window coverings drab? Just run them through an air-fluff cycle in the dryer with a damp towel (to attract the dust) for 15 minutes, and rehang immediately.
For a quick, complete wipe-down of your window blinds, shut the blinds and wipe with a microfiber cloth. Then close the blinds in the opposite direction and wipe other side. Tada! A little cleaning makes a huge difference.

I’m all about a little bit of daily progress. Cleaning these areas will also help get rid of germs that might be lurking around from the January we just finished. I think it’s totally necessary to show our homes some love. What other areas will you be cleaning this month?

Happy Valentines Day,

Michelle Phillips

love

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Tile & Stone Care

While we install so much more than Tile & Stone, it is what we excel in. Taking care of your natural stone does not need to be difficult. There are a few do’s and don’ts to know but basically you just need to use a cleaner especially designed for natural stone. Natural stone is very porous so the best way to prevent stains is to treat the surface with a protective sealer at the time of installation. I hope you find this informational and helpful! We love getting to serve our clients and want to help them protect their new and beautiful spaces.

  • We will apply two coats of sealer, one before grouting and one after. It’s a premium sealer.
  • Natural stone needs to be sealed to manufacturer specifications.
  • Grout may stain or discolor over time. Follow the manufacturer instructions for stain removal. Pay particular care to the type of products recommended for cleaning.
  • Quickly wipe up spills or they may stain your grout and some porous stones.
  • Tile and stone require routine maintenance to retained the beauty and preserve their look. Sweep or use a vacuum (without a beater bar) to pick up dirt and grime. Dust and damp mop on a regular basis. Wipe off residue to avoid leaving a film. Avoid excess water.
  • Place floor protectors under your furniture.
  • We have certain grouts now that are stain and mold and mildew resistant. We will discuss all your grout options with you at our free consultation meetings.

We want the best for our clients! Omaha, we enjoy making you more beautiful, one space at a time.

~Phillips Tile & Stone Team

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Happy New Year

“Never allow waiting to become a habit – live your dreams and take risks, life is happening now.” – Paulo Coelho

We are rooting for you! May 2020 be a productive year for us all. Now let’s get to work!

From the Phillips Tile & Stone Team

2020

It’s a fun time to reflect on 2019, here were our most ‘liked’ Top Nine pictures on Instagram. Here’s to more blue prints, more happy commercial and residential clients, more social media involvement, more employee hires and more Husker wins!

As always, we are thankful for YOU! Thanks for making Phillips Tile & Stone LLC possible by spreading the word. Happy New Year!

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*Merry Christmas*

All might not be calm. All might not even be bright. But the true reason why we celebrate Christmas is! We are wishing a joyful day to you and yours!

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar

Heavenly hosts sing’ Alleluia!
Christ the Savior is born
Christ the Savior is born

Merry Christmas from the Phillips Family and 30 week old baby belly.
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grateful & thankful

As Thanksgiving Day gets closer, I think it fills the heart to stop and consider all the people, things and circumstances we have to be grateful for. I’ve learned in my own life, when we stop and take time to be grateful, our mindset changes. One way I started purposefully putting gratefulness into practice is actually quite simple. I use the notes part of my iPhone and everyday (or everyday I remember!) I enter three NEW things I’m thankful for. This is something I’ve been doing for a few months so my list is long and only continues to grow. As I come up with three new things daily I’m thankful for, my mindset shifts to being grateful for everything that is in my life. A few items on my list look like this….

– A reliable, paid off vehicle

-fresh vegetables to eat

-children

-freedom to worship God

-hot coffee

-warm clothing

-art

-great clients

You get the idea. The crazy part is, everyday, your thankful list will look a little bit different. It will reflect how a portion of your day has already gone. For example, say you went to the DMV that morning, and the lines were low. I would be thankful for just that, “Short lines at the DMV!” It’s not rocket science, but there really IS something to be thankful for in everyday. Once we unlock our eyes to see this simple truth, our mind does a shift and realizes we really do have so much to be thankful for and it was right in front of us all along.

We hope you and yours have a very Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving Day!

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Thanksgiving Prep – Cinnamon Bread Recipe

Who else loves gathering around a table with family and friends to enjoy wonderful food? I know I’m not alone in basking in the warmth a meal with loved ones can bring. I’m convinced a beautiful table, rich conversation and mouth watering food can brighten anyone’s day! As I start to *think* about what I’d like to prepare, this simple quick bread comes to mind. I use to make it weekly. It’s easy and so good! Add some real butter and you’ve got yourself a real winner.

It’s always fun to listen to others’ Thanksgiving plans. So many unique traditions are held, there’s no ‘right way’ to usher in the Thanksgiving feast. Whether you enjoy a Taco bar, and forget the Turkey, or play a solid game of tackle football before your meal. Every family celebrates in their own unique way.

In Omaha, the weather is getting cooler. We’ve pulled up the garden and prepped it for winter. In years past, it’s always been difficult to say goodbye to warm months and come to grips with winter making her grand entrance. It’s different for me this year. I’m embracing the seasonal change without a grumpy attitude and looking forward to hunkering down with my family these next few months. My son says I’m getting older, I think getting older might also mean you learn to make the best of everything. Like arming yourself for winter with new soup recipes, board games, puzzles and indoor projects to last the next four months. Whatever the case, I’m ready to share this warm quick bread that you can easily bake and serve to eat during a card game. My kids love to play Sleeping Queens. It’s a great card game and Amazon carrys it. You definitely need to add it to your game closet. 🙂

The Amazing Cinnamon Bread (that’s what I call it anyway!)

CINNAMON BREAD (makes 2 loaves)
Batter:
1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 cups buttermilk or 2 cups milk plus 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice

4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda
Cinnamon/sugar mixture:
2/3 cups sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon  (I do add more cinnamon and sugar as I feel is needed. It’s called cooking with love. )

Cream together butter, 2 cups of sugar, and eggs.  Add milk, flour, and baking soda.  Put 1/2 of batter (or a little less) into greased loaf pans (1/4 in each pan).  Mix in separate bowl the 2/3 c sugar and cinnamon.  Sprinkle 3/4 of cinnamon mixture on top of the 1/2 batter in each pan.  Add remaining batter to pans; sprinkle with last of cinnamon topping.  Swirl with a knife.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 min.  or until toothpick tester come clean.   Cool in pan for 20 minutes before removing from pan.

I have also made this bread in muffin tins which made it a little easier to freeze and take out as needed.
ENJOY!!!

~Michelle Phillips

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13 things to do this Fall to prepare for Winter!

Fall starts today! September 23, which is also my birthday! As I was doing some chores around the house, I started thinking about how many weekends there were in a fall season, and correlating that to, “how many weekend projects can I accomplish to get ready for winter?” So I marched to the calendar to count up 13 weekends, and started thinking about my project list. Here is what I came up with. Keep in mind, these projects are meant to be completed within a few hours because Saturday mornings are packed with soccer and flag football games around here. Plus, who really wants to spend their weekend working? Not me! However, I’ve also learned working hard now ensures an easier transition into the next season and can benefit me a year from now! So, who else will join me in taking on a small project each weekend? Here they are. In no particular order either.

  1. Clean out all the gutters. This chore should be done after all the leaves, or most of the leaves have fallen.
  2. Put up Christmas lights while it’s nice out, so you won’t freeze! You don’t need to turn them on yet. 🙂
  3. Tend to flower beds and gardens. Pulling up dead or dying plants. Cutting back bushes. This is a great time to fertilize if you have a garden.
  4. Pick up outside furniture and toys. Store them as needed to preserve them from harsh winter conditions.
  5. Prepare your front door and entryway for cooler temps. I have flowers in the barrels and learned early on, that if I don’t clean those out and change the front door wreath. My front door can look really tired (and dead) come winter.
  6. Make sure your kids have properly fitting winter apparel (coats, hats, gloves, snow pants, boots). Don’t have kids? Make sure you’ve got a winter coat and snow boots. Last winter was harsh! I wore my winter boots so often and was glad I had them.
  7. Cut down on some heating costs by caulking around doors and windows.
  8. Hire a chimney sweep and order fire wood.
  9. Disconnect hoses from outside faucets and if your air conditioner has a water shut-off valve, turn it off.
  10. Buy a snow shovel. We like to have one in the trunk of our car too-just in case! Speaking of the car. We also put in a large blanket and first aid kit. I’d rather be over prepared than underprepared! Something else to consider is buying sidewalk salt before you actually need it. In the case of a winter storm, hardware stores sell out quickly!
  11. Buy a new board game and stock up on lotion. I’m smiling as I type that, but the Midwesterner in me knows, cabin fever and dry skin are a real thing!
  12. Tune up the snow blower.
  13. Invest in a humidifier. Your sinuses, skin and home will thank you!

Honestly, last winter was so long and harsh. I remember there being a handful of chores I’d wished we’d accomplished while it was still nice outside, instead of doing them while freezing our booties off outside. Alas, you live and learn! Here’s to hoping it’s a mild winter and we are prepared for anything! Like true Midwesterners! 🙂

~Michelle Phillips