Magazine Archive
Magazine Archive
Brenda’s Top 5 Value-Raising Home Improvements
Whether or not you are considering selling your property, or you just want to enjoy a few simple upgrades along the way, there are several ways to boost your home improvements ROI (return on investment) over time. As housing prices continue to increase, now is the perfect time to invest in your home. A home that is similar to a crisp, clean $100 bill hot off the press will help add money to your bottom line. Whether we are in a buyers or sellers market, these types of home improvements will help net you the most profit on your home.
Here are the top 5 home improvements Brenda has seen her clients successfully use to raise their home’s value
Alternative Energy Options For Your Home
Home is where the heart is - and where the heat is - if you take care of your heating systems. Berkshire Heating and Air Conditioning not only helps customers service their existing systems, but they also provide new alternatives to traditional systems. Invest your tax refund in the future of your heating and cooling systems and you’ll soon see the returns.
Balancing Business & Family: Meet the Millers
Balancing business and family isn’t an easy feat, but in the Miller Family, trying to find and share the solution is part of the daily equation. One of the many busy families of Longmeadow, they strive to strike the work/school/volunteer/life balance - but it isn’t without its complications!
“Work/life balance is a constant struggle, and I am the first one to admit that,” says Robyn Miller. “When you work remotely, work and family life all become one big blur and it is a job in itself to untangle that. But having the support of others around you, especially other mom’s who understand the battle, to help lift you up, is an essential part of reaching your goals. We have to help one another.”
A Cable TV Exodus
Am I the only one that thinks that cable companies are a bunch of thieves? Actually, I know I’m not. I hear the same thing from my clients all the time. But this is getting out of hand. Every other day, I see someone make a post about it, or I get a call from someone who is fed up with their cable bills. While the numbers are not exact, from my experience, monthly bills are ranging from $230-$290 a month! That's insanity.
Celebrating Pi Day with Mathnasium
Happy Pi Day!
Every March 14th, math students and teachers around the world come together to celebrate Pi Day, the holiday that honors the mathematical constant pi. Pi, or 3.14159…, is the distance around a circle divided by the distance across its middle, or the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter.
Building a Life in Longmeadow - One Slice at a Time
For the Ferrentino family, it was always Longmeadow - and nearly every morning - it’s coffee at the Shoppes. “We get morning coffee every day at Starbucks with a group of friends known as the “Delaney Market Club,” said Marissa Ferrentino, 31.
Traditions like this are important to the Ferrentino family, and there are plenty of family members taking part! Marissa and Frankie live in Longmeadow with their two-year-old daughter, Francesca - but when you add in Frankie’s Italian family, and Marissa’s Portuguese family, the Thanksgiving table gets pretty long.
Discovering "Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser"
I’m a Star Wars nerd. I’ll admit it. I love binge watching the movies (in order of course!) and whenever I’m at Disney World, I love hitting up Hollywood Studios. Hollywood Studios is now the mecca for anyone Star Wars fan. There are Star Wars themed rides, restaurants, and loads of characters walking around.
Bring Boston’s Books to You
Storrs Library gives you access to bunches, boatloads, buckets, and bushels of beguiling books and materials. We can even help you get access to the Boston Public Library (BPL) system. Wait! Drop those car keys and take off those boots. No need to drive across any slushy streets to get to Boston. The BPL is as close as your nearest computer.
Education & Empowerment: The Londraville Family
If you haven’t seen the Londraville family, you might need to have your eyes checked - because they are everywhere from the soccer fields, to the hockey rink, basketball courts to Batch, classrooms, author talks, and sidewalks. They’ve been in town for a decade - and they don’t plan on leaving a place they’ve come to love.
LIVING BEYOND 120 - BUILD YOUR LONGEVITY PORTFOLIO
We are living longer. The average life expectancy in 1860 was 39; today it’s 81!
Personally, I’m planning to live to 148 and my wife Lorie to 156. I often get a reaction of shock from people, as they picture me as a shriveled 148 year old prune in a wheelchair. But I’m talking about living to 148 healthy, active, and vibrant.
Impossible? Think again.
Is Solar Right For You?
Everyone has an opinion…or more like, everyone shares regurgitated facts based on the opinions of those whom have caught their ear…
The facts are that, like most things in life, every scenario is different - not just based on the house, location, shading or even amount of electricity needed. Your goals should be the deciding factor. Ask yourself these questions:
Is this my “forever home"?
What are my immediate and long term goals for my monthly budget?
Is there a home improvement project such as a new roof that I wish I could make happen without bleeding money?
Longmeadow Dad's Club: Creating Connections
Meeting new people and making friends isn't easy. Getting to know people can be even more difficult in communities that pride themselves on families who remain in town for generations. Luckily, the Longmeadow Dad’s Club gives parents the opportunity to settle in, to find opportunities for their little ones, and even to gain some new skills along the way.
Stay Warm & Save: Tips for Heating Your Home
It seems like EVERYTHING is more expensive these days, and while there are certain costs we can cut down on, heating your home is an essential task no matter the cost of energy. However, with a few simple suggestions, you can still heat your home without burning through your budget this season. An added perk? These tips also help to cut down on your carbon footprint - so you’re saving cash and the planet at the same time!
Digital Gift Ideas
The holiday season is upon us and if you're struggling with gift giving ideas we've got a few ideas that are not only easy on the wallet this year, but priceless for years to come.
Here at MorningBird Media, we eat, breathe and sleep authenticity, and what better way is there to gift someone you love with something that is just as unique as them? Here are a few ways you can use every-day technology to make memorable digital keepsakes this holiday season.
Community Through Food - The Barkett Family
There’s a good chance that when you walk into The Kitchen, you’ll see Bobby Barkett, dish towel slung over his shoulder or tucked into his apron, and a smile on his face. Moreover, he’ll probably know you, or your order, or your neighbors. If most towns have a local burger joint or a watering hole - a “Cheers''-type situation - then The Kitchen is Longmeadow’s, and that makes Barkett our resident Sam Malone.
Revenge Travel is Real
As I was looking into a Disney World vacation for a local family, I was shocked at how limited the availability was for February during school-vacation week in 2023. No matter how many times I refreshed the page, nada. 2023 seems so far away, but is it? Not when it comes to planning a vacation! March of 2020 brought a halt to travel, and now it is getting a breath of life again. Travel right now is surging as many countries and most recently cruise lines have loosened their restrictions. I am hungry for a vacation, you are hungry for a vacation. Americans are starving for a vacation. What can you do to assure you get the accommodations you want at the price point you desire? Get moving.
Much More in Storrs, Nov. 2022
Many of us here at Storrs Library love reading before going to bed, and we bet you do too. Did you know Storrs offers a digital resource that will allow you to read thousands of ebooks and digital magazines, or play an e-audiobook on nearly any device? If you’re tired of propping up a copy of A Tale of Two Cities on a pillow, you can instead be lulled to sleep listening to it read aloud. Intrigued? It’s time to download Libby.
President in Residence: Meet Bay Path’s 6th President
When we think of “college towns,” we think of Boston, Amherst, or Northampton. We think of dive bars, marching bands, and funky coffee shops. But amongst our Longmeadow Neighbors, and nestled in between historic Longmeadow homes, lives Bay Path University, an institution celebrating its 125th birthday. We caught up with one of your neighbors, a newer resident of Longmeadow, Sandra Doran, the 6th president of Bay Path University.
Much more in Storrs
Many of us here at Storrs Library love reading before going to bed, and we bet you do too. Did you know Storrs offers a digital resource that will allow you to read thousands of ebooks and digital magazines, or play an e-audiobook on nearly any device? If you’re tired of propping up a copy of A Tale of Two Cities on a pillow, you can instead be lulled to sleep listening to it read aloud. Intrigued? It’s time to download Libby.
Steven & Jenny Creelman: An inventor lives next door
Steven Creelman was raised in Longmeadow, and returned to town after stops in Florida, Chicago, and Eastern Massachusetts. While as a young person, he never imagined he’d move back into town, after falling in love and starting a family, he returned to a town where he felt a strong sense of community and support - and square footage for his growing family.