May 12, 2012

Keep Akron Beautiful is holding its annual Dreamscape raffle. For $25 a ticket or five tickets for $100, you will be entered to win a $10,000 front or backyard makeover. Board member Eric Jones and program manager Jacqui Flaherty say your odds of winning are good because only 1,500 tickets will be sold. The raffle will be held June 7, and all proceeds go to planting and maintaining the beautiful gardens dotting downtown Akron. Tickets are available at DreamScape Raffle, by phone or at the Keep Akron Beautiful office, or at various vendor locations. For more information, call 330-375-2116 or go to Keep Akron Beautiful. Keep Akron Beautiful is located at 850 E. Market St. 

Jacob Grimm, owner of Brothers Grimm Landscape & Design Co., offers this No. 1 tip for the budget-conscious homeowner who wants a nice-looking yard: Do some maintenance every week, and that includes weeding, watering and mulching. Brothers Grimm is available for everything from $50 lawn mowing to creating $150,000 backyard outdoor-living extravaganzas. In business for 17 years, Brothers Grimm is located in Clinton, Ohio, at 6408 South Main St.; 330.882.4639. Visit Brothers Grimm Landscape & Design.

Bath Volunteers for Service will hold its 35th Annual Home Tour on May 24. Debbie Brown, home tour chairman, says that the event is the group's big fundraiser, and all proceeds go to helping nonprofit organizations in the Akron area. The tour, which includes five homes, a spiffy barn and a lavish garden, is is a great way to spend a day. Enjoy a fashion show and lunch as well. Tickets start at $30. Reservation deadline is May 18. For more information:  Bath Volunteers for Service Home Tour Tickets or call 330.665.4523.

May 5, 2012

Margie and Ray Toombs, owners of Maid Brigade of Northeast Ohio, offer a vapor clean system that uses a patented steam-cleaning process to disinfect hard surfaces, from tile floors to ovens; eradicate dust mites from mattresses; and get rid of pet hair from your furniture. It even removes those unsightly spots that pets with oily coats leave behind when they rub on walls and upholstered furniture. You can call Maid Brigade for a one-time cleaning or to establish a cleaning schedule. A Maid Brigade gift certificate is a great Mother's Day gift. Call 330.453.6000 or visit Maid Brigade.

Chris Stranahan, owner of Wild Birds Unlimited on Howe Avenue in Cuyahoga Falls, is a sponsor of the Metro Parks Serving Summit County 20th Annual International Migratory Bird Day at Tuscarwas Meadows of Firestone Metro Park, 2620 Herrington Rd. in Akron, on May 12 from 7:30 a.m. to noon. Megan Doran, a naturalist for the park system, says this is a chance to see beautiful birds that have migrated from Costa Rica and other countries. A pie-iron breakfast is available at 7:30; call to reserve a spot. Reservations are not necessary for the rest of the event. Speakers include Chris Stranahan from Wild Birds Unlimited and Fran Kitchen, animal rehabilitator. Representatives from the Purple Martin Association will be there, too. To reach the Metro Parks site: Metro Parks Serving Summit County. Wild Birds Unlimited is located at 597 Howe Ave, next to Staples; 330.922.4990 Wild Birds Unlimited

Hazel Tree Interiors, a showroom of locally made home decor, is having an open house tonight from 5 to 9 at 143 W. Market St. in Akron. Co-owner Karen Starr says that the work of about 20 local artisans will be represented. Hazel Tree specializes in functional as well as decorative works of art made of reclaimed materials. They include pillows made of designer fabric samples and mirrors framed with extra molding from Hazel Tree's picture-framing service. Faux finisher Brooke Kelly will have samples of her painted furniture there. The open house is free; refreshments will be available. For more information: 330.761.3100; Hazel Tree. Interiors 

April 28, 2012

Gracy Lane, a Gold retailer of the Vera Bradley line of bags and accessories, is located at First and Main in Hudson. Tom Gober, owner, explains that the "gold" designation means that his store has the entire Vera Bradley line. Here's an interesting anecdote that is dear to the hosts of "My Beautiful

Home" (well, one of the hosts, who happens to own a wallpaper store): the founders of Vera Bradley started out their partnership as wallpaper hangers. They found that most satchels were designed for guys and weren't pleasing to women, so they did something about it by founding Vera Bradley. Gracy Lane also features accents for the home, including the Embellish Your Story frames and other home accessories, which are decorated with magnets that can be changed according to the season or your mood, and the Sid Dickens line of decorative blocks that serve as distinctive works of wall art. Gracy Lane is located at 103 First Street, Hudson, 330.650.0370. Gracy Lane 

Da Vinci Floors & Granite owner Sue Brys will be manning her booth this weekend at the Wayne County Home & Garden Show at the Wayne County Fairgrounds. Da Vinci Floors & Granite offers custom-designed backsplashes and complimentary in-home design service at two locations: 229 S. Court St., Medina, 330.764.3232, and 156 E. Liberty St., Wooster, 234-249.0016. Da Vinci Floors & Granite Contact Da Vinci about its granite sale, which runs until the end of May ($49 per square foot -- that includes installation and the kitchen sink). Also, find out about Da Vinci's staircase kits.

Akron Digital Media Center trains citizen journalists to report what is going on in our area. Articles and videos are then posted online. It's a great resource that celebrates neighborhoods and the region.  The Akron Digital Media Center is located in the Akron Public Library, 60 S. High St. Chris Miller is the director. Go to  Akron Digital Media Center to find out what it takes to get on board. If you want to see what's going on in the area, visit Akronist, Akron's only volunteer news outlet.

Please don't forget, the Akron Peacekeepers' aluminum can drive. April 30 is the last day to put Akron over the top in the national contest for the most cans collected per citizen. Great cash prizes will go to the Peacekeepers' projects in the area. Check here for drop-off points. 

April 21, 2012

The Akron PeaceMakers will be collecting aluminum cans on Earth Day, Sunday, April 22, at Lock 3 from 1 to 3 pm. Help the PeaceMakers, a group of Akron high school students, and the citizens of Akron be winners in the nationwide can-collecting contest. If the PeaceMakers win the challenge, the prize money will go toward programs that combat bullying and other great causes.

If you can fry an egg on your forehead at night in bed, then moments later be freezing, the ChiliPad is the thing for you. Todd Youngblood, whose Uncle Charlie invented the modern waterbed, and ChiliTechnology have developed a product that both heats and cools. Traditional heating devices make use of electric wire, but ChiliTechnology uses extremely soft surgical-grade silicone tubing to gently circulate water to both heat and cool. The dual-control option allows two people sleeping in the same bed to set two different temperatures. For more information on ChiliTechnology's mattress pads and matresses, visit ChiliTechnology; 866.663.1899, 144 Talbert Pointe Dr., Suite 103, Mooresville, NC.

Adam Bey says that it doesn't cost a fortune to get a lift. Handel & Son Elevator/Lift Co. can provide cost-effective ways for people to stay in their home as they age. Handel & Son Elevator/Lift Co. has a complete line of indoor and outdoor chair lifts, residential elevators and outdoor trams. Handel & Son is located at 4105 Karg Industrial Parkway, Kent, Ohio. For more information: 800.506. LIFT (5438) or Handel and Son Elevator/Lift Co.

ServiceMaster by Corbett has been cleaning up after home disasters since 1980.  If you have experienced a flood, fire or any other kind of disaster, ServiceMaster by Corbett can be there immediately to start the cleanup process. You also can rely on ServiceMaster to effectively address the problems associated with hoarding. Don Corbett offers plenty of advice for the average homeowner seeking to avert a disaster. For instance, to prevent flooding, know the location of your main water shutoff valve and replace rubber washing machine hoses every three to four years. Call 330.864.7300 when disaster hits. ServiceMaster by Corbett has a new location: 1325 S. Main St. in Akron. Visit ServiceMaster by Corbett.