Archive for the ‘Housing’ Category
Keeping Your Home Safe and Secure During Vacation
Each year, there are more than 2.15 million burglaries, over 65 percent of which are residential break-ins, with the majority occurring in the peak vacation months of July and August.... more
Eliminate the Cost of Chicken Feed
By PAUL WHEATON - I used to sell my chickens for nearly the same price I paid for feed. I found ways to not only eliminate feed costs, but provide higher-quality feed! ... more
Can Pigs Build Ponds?
By PAUL WHEATON - Don't even THINK of using a pond liner if you have pigs around. Paul Wheaton shows us a better way to seal a pond using pigs.... more
Take a Walk: The Glacial Lake Missoula High-Water Mark
By KP NICHOLS - 15,000 years ago, Missoula was underwater. Today, you can hike to the highwater mark on Sentinel and Jumbo and use your imagination to fill in the details.... more
How NOT to raise chickens
By PAUL WHEATON - This comic artist is exceptionally brilliant at capturing very common and complicated issues that can arise for people who have never raised chickens before. I think the desire to steward chi... more
It’s the Right Time to Buy…for Some!
We’ve heard the phrase, “It’s a good time to buy,” but what does that really mean? With interest rates under 4%, it’s important that consumers consider the COST of a home and not just the Price.... more
New Housing Trends Show a Rebound
There are mixed messages in terms of real estate growth and an economic recovery, but home sale trends and low mortgage rates, point to a housing turnaround.... more
My Inexpensive, DIY Kitchen Remodel
By LISA HENSLEY - When we moved into our house, we planned to update the kitchen. In the end, we saved thousands of dollars refinishing the cabinets ourselves.... more
Missoula Organization of Realtors Reviews 2011
The Missoula Organization of Realtors reviews 2011 to include number of sales, median home prices, and average days on the market for Missoula County homes.... more
A Pinterest Project: Get Organized with DIY Spice Jars
By ERIN TURNER - My kitchen was being overrun by all my spices until I stumbled on a great project I saw on Pinterest: Recycle old bottles into DIY spice containers. ... more
Eat Local and Eat Well with Community Supported Agriculture
By ERIN TURNER - Community Supported Agriculture farms have started to become popular in Missoula. They're a great way to eat healthy, local, economical food.... more
Homeword Aims to Change the Image of Affordable Housing
By ANDREW FISHER - Homeword, a Missoula non-profit, wants to change the image of affordable housing by creating sustainable, community-oriented buildings.... more
Frugal Living: Eat Tapas, Cut Your Grocery Bill
By ERIN TURNER - Serving tapas-style food, a traditional Spanish small-plates meal, is a delicious, easy way to cut your grocery budget significantly.... more
Frugal Living: Go Green and Grow Your Own Food
By ERIN TURNER - Growing your own food is making a huge comeback. Not only are homegrown fruits and veggies healthier, but you can save a ton of money, too.... more
Contain Yourself: How to Plant a Container Garden
By BILL CARAS - Gardening in containers is easy and rewarding. In our Missoula climate, many plants love containers and can be more productive than when planted in-ground.... more
Frugal Living: The Art of the Garage Sale
By ERIN TURNER - With its distinct neighborhoods and their close proximity to one other, Missoula's a great garage sale town. Here are some tips for hosting a great sale.... more
Frugal Living: Learn How to Save at Staples
By ERIN TURNER - I like to shout-out my favorite stores in Missoula that offer some great deals and coupons. This week, learn how to save on supplies at Staples.... more
Frugal Living: Spring Cleaning on a Budget
By ERIN TURNER - Spring cleaning is in full swing at our house! Unwilling to pay $250 for a professional cleaning, I found a frugal way to clean our microfiber furniture.... more
Greenwashing Light Bulbs
By PAUL WHEATON - The object propelling the greatest greenwashing scheme of all time is the CFL.... more
You Are What You Love
By ERIN TURNER - In honor of Valentine's Day, here's a list of the things I love about Missoula. Add your favorites in the comments!... more
Winter Warmer: Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
By LISA HENSLEY - I do all the meal planning, shopping, and cooking for our family. Sometimes, trying to come up with ANOTHER meal is more than I’m up for. That’s when I get a rotisserie chicken.... more
Keep those branches, twigs, rotten logs, and Christmas trees!
By PAUL WHEATON - Paul Wheaton shows us ways to recycle wood. These tips sure beat making a big pile and burning it!... more
Testing to see if you are an Eco Poser
By PAUL WHEATON - It's cool to be green. Especially in Missoula. Here's how to test to see if you are an Eco Poser.... more
Holiday Safety Tips to Keep the Season Merry
By DIANE BECK - Holidays are a time of celebration and fun. However, they have the potential to be a time of increased accidents. Here are some safety tips to keep your holiday season merry.... more
Being Noble
By PAUL WHEATON - Paul talks about people, community, intentional community, being nice, mean and even noble.... more
A Missoula Fundraiser for a New Orleans School
By CLAY SPRINGMEYER - On Dec. 10, there will be a benefit event at Free Cycles Missoula to help send a group of UM students to Our School at Blair Grocery in New Orleans.... more
How to Make Tin Can Lanterns
By LISA HENSLEY - I was having some friends over for a housewarming party last week, and wanted decorate with luminaries. I almost rushed out to buy luminary bags before I remembered that I could make tin can l... more
Introducing the Heirloom Winter Market
By KRISTEN LEE-CHARLSON - On Saturday, I launched the Heirloom Winter Market, a sort of extension of the local farmers' markets which had their last day of the season the week prior.... more
A Salute to Missoula’s Bike-Friendly Events of 2011
By BEN WEISS - There is no doubt that Missoulians like riding bikes. In fact, we consistently rate among the top 10 cities in the country for percentage of people using bicycles for transportation.... more
The Best Missoula Neighborhood for Trick or Treating Is…
...Grant Creek! Halloween is still alive and well in Missoula, Montana, at least in the Grant Creek neighborhood. Tonight, we enjoyed it for what it is: A celebration of kids being kids, young and old. A cha... more
Paul Queneau Showcases Missoula’s Stunning Fall Foliage
Paul Queneau sent us so many gorgeous fall color photos for his post, Missoula's Fall Colors: The Best Ever?, that we couldn't resist putting them all in one big gallery for you to enjoy.... more
Missoula’s Fall Color: The Best Ever?
By PAUL QUENEAU - I’m just going to say it: This might be the best fall color the Missoula Valley has ever seen. A bold statement, I know, but so are the colors.... more
2011 City Leaf Collection Program Begins in Missoula
Leaf season has arrived. The Street Maintenance Division will begin collecting leaves Monday, Oct. 24. This year, leaf pickup will start in Area 3 of the city, south of the Clark Fork River, west of Russell Str... more
Four Leaf Removal Tools that Clear Yards of Fall Debris
You only need a few essential leaf removal items in your landscape tool collection to accomplish your autumn goal — removing the heavy leaves that smother grass and make your lawn a splotchy mess in spring.... more
Urban Bees in Missoula: Neighbors Against Neighbors While Drafting New Rules
By DANIEL VIEHLAND. UM student and citizen journalist Daniel Viehland reports on the conflict between an urban beekeeper and his neighbors in Missoula. Will it prompt changes to local beekeeping laws?... more
Mountain Line Plans for the Future of Missoula’s Bus System
The Missoula Urban Transportation District, operators of the popular Mountain Line bus system, want the community’s input on both short and long term improvements needed for its public transportation system.... more
Fundraiser for Friends of 2 Rivers
By JEN SLAYDEN. Please join Friends of 2 Rivers at Flathead Lake Brewing Company on Wednesday, September 21st from 5pm-11pm, to enjoy trivia, friendship, and cold, tasty beer!... more
Tips for Avoiding Rental Scams
A trend that has developed in the past several years is for these scammers, most often residing overseas, to skim rental property ads or vacant homes for sale and list them for rent at unbeatable prices. ... more
Missoula is Like . . . Relaxed Fit Jeans?
By JEN SLAYDEN. Jeans come in such different shapes and styles, each feeling a bit different to wear. Kind of like the styles of each of the town you travel going east and back again through the great state of... more
Green Your Kitchen with a Cast Iron Skillet
By PAUL WHEATON. Learn about the benefits of Cast Iron cookware and watch an egg fry and not stick!... more
Earth, Wind, and Fire – Bonner Fire
By JEN SLAYDEN. If it takes an act of God to fill up the usually vacant church parking lots on my side of the mountain, I think he has spoken. For in a brief period of twelve hours we felt an earthquake and our... more
Killing Me Softly: The Art of Deconstruction
By LISA HENSLEY. I’m somewhat addicted to HGTV, especially the “Crashers” shows (Yard Crashers, House Crashers, etc.). It could be because I’m secretly wishing someone would offer to come to my house an... more
Mullein Heals the Earth
By PAUL WHEATON. Mullein is a biennial plant with fuzzy leaves. Often called "cowboy toilet paper," mullein will grow in the worst soils on earth -- improving the earth as it grows. More about this amazing pla... more
Repurpose Grass Clippings as Mulch
By LISA HENSLEY. By this time of year, if you bag your grass cuttings, you’re probably starting to think fondly of those winter months when there’s no mowing to do. (Actually, you’re probably thinking tha... more
Renting vs Buying: What You Need to Know
The excitement and energy that Missoula’s University of Montana brings also comes with a tradeoff. As a community, we have far more renters than the national average, making the rental market even more compe... more
Repurposed Lighting
RE-USE IT. By LISA HENSLEY. I was working my first volunteer event for Home ReSource a couple of years ago when I stumbled across this fantastic light fixture. It’s really heavy, old glass, and by the time we... more
The Tiny House Movement
By PAUL WHEATON. People are saving money by downsizing their house. How far can you take it? Take a look at these Tiny house. One was built for $15!... more
The EdgeMaster: How to Sharpen a Serrated Knife Blade
By PAUL WHEATON. Watch the EdgeMaster sharpen a serrated knife blade in record time!... more
From Baby Blanket to Big Boy Pillow
RE-USE IT. By LISA HENSLEY. My mom makes these great blankies for kids: knit on one side, flannel on the other. They just get softer and snugglier the more you wash them. They don’t, however, last forever—e... more
How to REALLY Save on Your Summer Utility Bills
By PAUL WHEATON. Learn more than 20 great tips to save energy and save on summer utility bills too. Cooking, cooling, lighting tips and more -- all for REAL utility bill savings.... more