- Real Estate Update
- Buyers & Seller's Corner
- Home Improvement
- Trivia Challenge
- Health & Fitness
New Movie Releases
Recipe of the Month
- Travel Tips
- Forward to a Friend

August 2011

13 -- Full Moon
19 -- Aviation Day
26 -- National Dog Day

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Featured Listings for August

Are you looking for a Summer retreat by the Beach ?

You are a First Time Home Buyer - Click Here!

Or Looking for a Waterfront Home on the River.

Want a Commercial Property to combine your home and business.

Diplomacy: The art of saying "nice doggie" until you can find a rock.
~ Wynn Catlin

Condition of Property Key to Selling

You would think this is obvious, but apparently not to everybody: Your home needs to look good if it's going to sell. It is not uncommon for a potential home buyer to drive up to the home, take a look at the exterior, and simply say to their agent, "don't bother." In some cases, they'll make it as far as the entryway only to say, "I don't need to see any more."

Most home buyers -- unless they are specifically looking for fixer-upper homes -- want to purchase a home that is clean and move-in ready with little, if any, work or expense involved. If you haven't tried to make the home appealing to most buyers, you may have to fix up the home or offer a "credit" to the buyer to cover the expected costs involved with getting the home in acceptable condition.

The choice is yours: Get your home in as good of condition as possible before selling; or, be prepared to accept a lower offer.

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It is a thousand times better to have common sense without education than to have education without common sense.
~ Robert G. Ingersoll

8 Steps to Painting/Staining Concrete

One way you can easily and economically improve the appearance of your home is to paint or stain any concrete walls, flooring, patios or other outdoor surfaces that are gray and boring. While the process is a bit more difficult than painting an interior wall, it's still fairly easy and the results can be fantastic. Here's how you do it:

  1. Test the Area -- Before painting the concrete, perform a moisture test by taping a 24-inch square of plastic to the area and waiting 48 hours. If there is any discoloration or any visible signs of moisture trapped in the plastic, the cement should not be painted or stained.
  2. Roughen the Surface -- Concrete should be as rough as 120 grit sandpaper; smooth concrete will not accept stains or coatings. You can roughen the surface with a wire brush and acid-based solution or use a cement etching solution found in most home improvement stores. You can also use a floor sander or shot blaster to roughen the surface.
  3. Clean the Surface Thoroughly -- Use a degreaser or concrete cleaner to remove all paint, dirt, moisture, etc. The concrete must be clean and dry or the paint or stain will not work correctly. If you use a power washer, wait at least 48 hours before doing any repairs, painting or staining.
  4. Repairs -- Fix any cracks or holes in the concrete with hydraulic cement.
  5. Seal the Concrete -- Masonry coating works best. Let dry.
  6. Primer -- Apply a coat of concrete-safe primer with a roller or sprayer. Let dry.
  7. Paint/Stain -- Apply paint or stain with a roller or sprayer and let dry. Apply additional coats of paint as needed. Always dry thoroughly between coats.
  8. Sealer -- Apply a coat of concrete-safe sealer.

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You block your dream when you allow your fear to grow bigger than your faith.
~ Mary Manin Morrissey

Trivia Challenge

Question 1.) The oldest national park in the United States lies mainly in this state?
a.) California
b.) Virginia
c.) Washington
d.) Wyoming

Question 2.) "Scarlett O'Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it." Who began their only novel with these words?
a.) Anna Sewell
b.) Grace Metallious
c.) Mary Norton
d.) Margaret Mitchell

Question 3.) "Mirror in the Bathroom" was a hit in 1980 for which ska-influenced band?
a.) Bad Manners
b.) Selector
c.) The Beat
d.) The Specials

Question 4.) Which movie did Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman star in together?
a.) Cocktail
b.) Far and Away
c.) Interview with a Vampire
d.) Risky Business

Question 5.) You are in Europe's highest capital. An important museum in this city is the Prado. Where are you?
a.) Bern
b.) Madrid
c.) Oslo
d.) Vienna

TOP | ANSWERS

Life is the flower for which love is the honey.
~ Victor Hugo

Blackberries: Top 10 in Antioxidant Capacity

As delicious as blackberries are -- they're a lot more than a sweet summer treat. Blackberries are low in calories, low on the glycemic index, are an excellent source of fiber, vitamins (B, C, E), minerals, ellagic acid (a potent cancer fighter) and antioxidants.

In fact, according to the USDA, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries all rank in the Top 10 in antioxidant capacity of more than 100 common foods. And, research published in the July 2006 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition ranked blackberries as far and away the most antioxidant-rich food (on the basis of a typical single serving) out of more than 1,100 types tested.

Some of the most potent antioxidants in berries are called anthocyanins. They are responsible for the purplish-black color of blackberries and blueberries and have been shown to fight everything from heart disease and cancer to memory loss.

So, whether you pick them yourself at a berry farm, grab some at your local produce market, or buy them fresh or frozen at the grocery store, blackberries make a healthy snack. Add them to your cereal, make a cobbler, or top off your salad, ice cream or smoothie with them. Or, make a blackberry margarita.

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You see things; and you say, "Why?" But I dream things that never were; and I say, "Why not?"
~ George Bernard Shaw

August Movie Releases

  • Aug. 5
    • Rise of Planet of the Apes
    • The Change-up
    • Bellflower
    • Gun Hill Road
    • Magic Trip
    • The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll
    • The Whistleblower
  • Aug. 12
    • 30 Minutes or Less
    • Final Destination 5
    • The Help
    • Littlerock
    • Senna
  • Aug. 19
    • Conan the Barbarian
    • One Day
    • Spy Kids: All the Time in the World
    • Fright Night
    • 5 Days of War
    • Flypaper
    • Griff the Invisible
    • Programming the Nation?
  • Aug. 26
    • Our Idiot Brother
    • Circumstance
    • Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
    • The Family Tree
    • Higher Ground
  • Aug. 31
    • The Debt

*Opening dates may vary depending on where you live.

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Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?
~ Abraham Lincoln

Grilled Ribeye Steaks with Mango Salsa

Ingredients - Serves 4

  • 4 beef ribeye steaks -- cut 3/4-inch thick
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 2 tb. sp. vegetable oil
  • 2 cloves garlic -- crushed
  • 1 tb. sp. chili powder
  • 1 tb. sp. brown sugar
  • Mango salsa

Mango Salsa -- Combine all ingredients and serve with your favorite steak.

  • 2 cups diced tomatoes
  • 1 fresh mango -- peeled and diced
  • 1 bell pepper -- seeded and diced
  • 1 large jalapeno -- seeded and diced
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro -- chopped
  • 1/4 cup pecan pieces -- toasted

Directions

  1. Mix the Worcestershire, soy sauce, vegetable oil, lime juice, garlic, chili powder and brown sugar.
  2. Put the steaks in a sealable plastic bag and pour the mixture over steaks. Seal the bag and turn to coat steaks. Refrigerate and marinate 15 to 30 minutes.
  3. Place steaks on grid over medium heat. Grill steaks uncovered 8 to 10 minutes for medium-rare to medium doneness, turning once.
  4. Remove the steaks and serve with mango salsa.

Wine Pairing

  • Try with a heady, assertive Grenache like an Australian D'Arenberg The Custodian or a Markham Cabernet.
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Travel has no longer any charm for me. I have seen all the foreign countries I want to except heaven and hell and I have only a vague curiosity about one of those.
~ Mark Twain

Picnics Save Time and Money

While dining is generally a big part of vacationing, you might want to keep picnicking as an option for some of your meals, especially if you're doing a lot of driving or have younger children.

Eating at restaurants all the time can cost a bundle for a family -- and little kids may not always be in the mood to go from sitting in the car for five hours to sitting in a restaurant. Having a cooler or tote handy for impromptu picnics will save your family time and money -- and give you and the family a chance to stretch, explore and get some fresh air between destinations.

Following are some useful tips:

  • Pack a collapsible soft cooler or a tote bag to use as a picnic basket. On days you know you won't be using it, you can pack it away.
  • Ask the kids to help plan the menu; they'll be more interested in eating if they helped choose the food.
  • Keep sandwiches from getting soggy by spreading condiments between the meat instead of on the bread. Add lettuce and tomatoes just before eating. By keeping them separate, they will stay crisp and the bread will stay dry.
  • Freeze juice boxes and water bottles before you go. They will stay cold longer and they will help keep the other foods cold.
  • If you plan to barbecue, pack charcoal pieces in a cardboard egg container. It prevents a mess, and, you can just ignite the carton to flame the charcoal.
  • Bring a ball, bat, frisbee, board game or other backyard toys to have a little fun.

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Trivia Answers
#1. d.) Wyoming; #2. d.) Margaret Mitchell; #3. c.) The Beat; #4. a.) Cocktail; #5. b.) Madrid


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Robert McLaughlin & Julie A. Willis
535 Lacey Road
Forked River, NJ 08731

This eNewsletter contains information, facts and opinions from various individuals and organizations. This eNewsletter is provided on an "as-is" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. I/We are not responsible for any errors or omissions. Consult with your doctor, fitness consultant, attorney, accountant, or other professional advisor when necessary. © 2011 eNewsletterSolutions.

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