Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/359132
It'sbeenmore than a year ago that my husband remodeled our home. This is no or- dinary man. He has an amazing ability to design, destroy and rebuild with amazing results. This remodel was exten- sive, which means by the time he hauled 30 truck- loads of demolition to the dump, I had dirt for floors with beams and studs for walls. Now imagine this: Both of us continued our fast- paced work schedules through these six months of chaos. We didn't move out to temporary quarters. We worked every spare moment. Being novices, we hired professionals for plumb- ing, electrical, drywall and so on. Normally, this would have brought me to a screeching halt. How can you find a re- liable, honest, quality professional to do this kind of important work in your home? We've all heard horror sto- ries of fly-by-night sub- contractors who prom- ise but don't deliver. We just didn't have time to interview and get multi- ple bids. We wanted real, honest and reliable refer- rals from people like us who could recommend professionals for our job. I visited Yelp.com, and while I found a ton of in- formation, I didn't feel completely comfort- able. How can the same plumber, for example, get several 5-star reviews and 14 2-star reviews? That's not consistent and makes me wonder, were the 5-stars from family mem- bers wanting to coun- teract the lower ratings? Did a disgruntled em- ployee post reviews with low ratings to get back at the company? I'll use Yelp.com to shop for res- taurants and hair salons, but when it comes to my home, I need a more reli- able source. Angie's List (www.ev- erydaycheapskate.com/ angieslist) has deliv- ered beyond my expecta- tions in the past, so it was only logical to head there again. I find this is a mem- bership service (about $10 a year) worth every penny. The thing I like is that ev- ery referral is from some- one who has actually used that service. The referrals are de- tailed and specific. I could read exactly what this particular plumber did, whether he showed up on time, if he cleaned up, was friendly, how much he charged and whether the job was completed on time and the quality of work- manship. We hired all of the workers we needed directly as a result of the re- ferrals on Angie's List. If I sound like a crazed fan, that's because I am. Without exception, we have received exactly the A+ results we expected from the more than nine companies we hired. This is not a fluke. It's the value of getting good referrals before the job starts, not shooting in the dark, and then having to deal with a mess on the other end. Want to see the remodel results? Go to Everyday- Cheapskate.com, look for "Mary's LIfe." Earlier this year, we purchased another home in Colorado, with the plan to lease it out. Here I was in California needing to get that home ready for occupancy. I added Col- orado to my Angie's List subscription and went to work. I hired a carpet cleaner, housecleaner, garage door servicer, electrician and plumber to perform spe- cific jobs and upgrades — using only Angie's List as my resource. I handled everything from long distance, sched- uling all of the work from my office in California. I gave each worker the ac- cess code to the garage door opener so they could get in. Without excep- tion, each of these compa- nies I hired went way be- yond the call of duty. They called ahead, called once they were on the job, sent photos before and after, and every one followed up to make sure we were fully satisfied. That house shone like a new penny, and we leased it immediately — all long distance. I owe this all to knowing how to find the best professionals, based on referrals from real, live people who make up the community of Angie's List. Angie, if you're out there, thank you. Your ser- vice has given me peace of mind, confidence and saved us so much time plus all the money we didn't waste by hiring the wrong people. Wouldyouliketosend a tip to Mary? You can email her at mary@eve- rydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheap- skate, P.O. Box 2099, Cy- press, CA 90630. EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE Great referrals key to great results Mary Hunt Whether your kids are in elementary school or col- lege, the back to school sea- son is quickly approaching and the summer will soon be in your rearview mirror. CalRecycle offers these tips on how to reduce, re- use and recycle to get you through the barbecues-to- books transition with less impact on the environment and your bank account. Thebarenecessities While it may be tempt- ing to load up on bright shiny new school sup- plies especially during the many back-to-school blow- out sales, it will serve you — and your pocketbook — to hold off until you evalu- ate and use up what you al- ready have. If your scissors are still sharp and your notebooks still have blank paper, go with the golden, or green, rule: Reduce, re- use and recycle. Reduce, reuse, recycle, re-buy Whenever possible, try to buy recycled. Many com- panies manufacture school supplies like pencils, paper and scissors that have been made with recycled materi- als. Check out CalRecycle's site for tips on buying recy- cled and to find recycled- content products made in California. Want to get re- ally creative? Check out the CalRecycle back-to-school Pinterest board for DIY ways to take something old and make it new again. Book bartering and text trading Use social media to find out if anyone you know can trade books with you and don't forget to offer up your used books to them. There are loads of cool websites, like Freecycle, that can help you swap items with folks in your area. You can even rent books or find e- books online. There's no rule that says you need to buy brand-new textbooks, especially if a previous edi- tion contains the same rel- evant information. Trading and renting is much nicer to the environment and your budget — plus, once you've passed them along, those books won't take up room in your home. Pull the old switcheroo Your kids outgrew their clothes before they got a chance to wear them twice, so see if you can swap their duds with someone else. Get together with other parents before the new school year starts to ex- change gently used clothes and school supplies. Adults can participate, too. If you're just sick of the sight of your own clothes, don't be afraid to experiment with some DIY upcycling with friends. Brown paper bags are so last season How can anyone be ex- pected to express their style with a plain brown paper bag? In lieu of the paper bag, try a stylish reusable lunch bag. Add some reusable containers and a cloth napkin, and you've instantly made a statement, and a differ- ence. Clever and cra y When it's time to make that diorama of the galaxy for science class, see what you can find around the house that can be upcycled and artfully crafted into the Milky Way. This is a great opportunity to show off your ingenious crafting and recycling skills. Maybe an old tennis ball can be the sun and used tissue pa- per can act as moon rocks. Use your imagination. If a dance or birthday party is coming up, yard sales and thrift shops are a great place to find decorations and vintage threads. Walk the walk How do you save gas, save money, get exercise and spend some qual- ity time with your kids? There's no punch line, just a good green sug- gestion. Organize a kid caravan in which adults take turns accompanying kids to school on foot or on bikes. School your kids The best way to teach kids is through your ac- tions. Do your part in reduc- ing, reusing and recycling what you can at home and in the office. It will show your little pupils that re- cycling is easy, especially when you make it a habit at home. If your children's school has a recycling pro- gram, explain to your kids how it works and encour- age them to be responsible recyclers. No recycling program at school? No problem. It's easy and free with CalRe- cycle's recycling starter kits and tips. Got a green thumb? Work with other parents to start a garden and compost program at school. For more informa- tion, visit www.calrecycle. ca.gov. RECYCLE Green is the Golden Rule The second annual Arlo Stroing Memorial Scholar- ship and Range Manage- ment Internship has been awarded to Jessica Cope- land of Redding. Jessica attended Shasta College for 2 years and will be attending Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo this fall to earn an Animal Science degree. She has been work- ing this summer alongside Josh Davy, the farm ad- viser for the University of California Cooperative Ex- tension office in Tehama County, and has been gain- ing first-hand experience with livestock and range- land research projects. Jessica was raised in the rural area of Redding, which grounded her love of the area along with the ranching lifestyle and val- ues. Her interest in the cat- tle industry was sparked with her first Animal Sci- ence class at Shasta Col- lege, where she was first exposed to animal pro- duction. Her interests have grown from there leading her to learn more about an- imal science and behaviors. In the future she is in- terested in conducting re- search that works to find advances in livestock man- agement that will help to strengthen the livestock in- dustry. Arlo Stroing passed away in December of 2011. The Hemsted and Stroing families came together to honor and carry on Ar- lo's deep love of range- land, ranching lifestyle and his cattle produc- tion legacy, by creating this combined Internship and scholarship opportu- nity for youth studying range management. The $1,000 scholar- ship along with the sum- mer internship provide an opportunity for stu- dents to see first-hand what is involved in range management and how re- search shapes the future of the industry. Arlo would have been greatly honored to be a part of Jessica's fu- ture goals to improve the cattle industry. AWARD Copeland awarded memorial scholarship, internship COURTESYPHOTO Pictured, from le , are Faye Stroing, Jackie Montgomery and Jessica Copeland. Today REDBLUFF Al-Anon: noon, Presbyte- rian Church, Jefferson and Hickory Alcohol, Anger and Abuse Group: Call for group time and location, 528-0226 Downtown Farmers Mar- ket: 5-8p.m., Washington Street between Pine and Oak streets Nurturing Parenting Dads Program: 10a.m. to noon, 1860Walnut St. #D, Shasta Room, call Keith at 527-8491, ext. 3012 Nurturing Skills for Teen Parents: 9-10a.m., 1900 Walnut St., 527-8491, ext. 3012 PAL Martial Arts Wom- en's Self Defense: 5:30- 6:30p.m., 1005Vista Way, Ste. C, 840-0345 Penny Bingo: 9:30a.m., Community Center, 1500S. Jackson St. Red Bluff Kiwanis: noon, Elks Lodge Red Bluff Derby Girls open tryouts and prac- tice: 6:30p.m., Tyler Jelly building at Tehama District Fairgrounds Senior Dance: 7p.m., Westside Grange, Walnut Street Team Kid: 5:30p.m., First Southern Baptist Church, 585Kimball Road, 527- 5083 TeenScreen Mental Health Appointments: 10a.m. to 2p.m., free by appointment, Youth Em- powerment Services, 1900 Walnut St., 527-8491, Ext. 3012 Tehama AIDS Consor- tium: 5p.m. committee meeting, 5:30p.m. public meeting, St. Elizabeth Home Health Care: 1425Vista Way, 527-6824 Tehama County Drug and Alcohol Advisory Board Meeting: 6p.m., 1850Wal- nut St., Ste. G, 527-7893 Tehama County Educa- tion Foundation: 7:30a.m., Department of Education, 1135Lincoln St. Tehama County Library story time: 9:30a.m., 645 Madison St. 527-0604 Tehama County Technical Advisory Committee: 9 a.m., Board of Supervisors Chambers Tehama Shooters Associ- ation: 6:30p.m., Red Bluff Community Center, 1500S. Jackson St. 527-8727 Waterbirth Class: 6:30- 8:30p.m., St. Elizabeth Community Hospital Columba Room, 888-628- 1948 Weight Watchers meet- ing: 9a.m., Hampton Inn, 1-800-651-6000 Y-FI Middle and High School Youth Group: 6:30-8p.m., North Valley Baptist Church, 345David Ave., 527-0543 CORNING Corning Rotary: noon, Rolling Hills Casino: Tim- bers Steak House, 2655 Barham Ave. School Readiness Play Group: 10-11:30a.m., up to 5years, free, Family Re- source Center, 1480South St., 824-4111 Spanish Adult Education: 5p.m., Family Resource Center, West and South streets, 824-7670 Strategies for Success: Life Skill classes, 1:30p.m., Family Resource Center, West and South streets, 824-7670 VFW Charity Bingo: 6 p.m., Corning Veterans Memorial Hall, 1620Solano St., 824-5957. CALENDAR SacredHeartSchool Less expensive than you think 2255 Monroe Street Red Bluff For further information call (530) 527-6727 or visit our website at www.sacredheartredbluffschool.org -Lookingforsmallclasssize? -Safe and caring environment? -Our Kindergarten student-teacher ratio is 10:1 SacredHeartSchool Catholic-Christian College Prep Curriculum since 1882 SUMMER SHOE SALE DANSKO • ECCO KEEN • CLARKS MERRELL • RIEKER ALEGRIA • SAS • BORN TEVA • EARTH VIONIC • REEF (limitedtostockonhand while quantities last) A Good Fit for 100 Years Johnson's SHOES NORTHVALLEYPLAZA 343-8923 COMFORT SHOES CHICO MALL 342-2310 Further Reductions Sale Rack Shoes Only $10 off 1 st pair • $15 off 2 nd pair BIGSAVINGSTODAY 100's of Shoes - Select Styles BACKTOSCHOOLPROJECTPRESENTS Sunday, August 10, 2014 P.O.Box292,RedBluff,CA96080 530.529.4074 • www.backtoschoolproject.com • Free haircuts for school-age children providedbylicensedhairstylists • Free food donated by Cornerstone Community Bank • Free professional photographs by Studio 530 Photography • Live music • Children's games • Information booths Regular Haircut $ 2 00 off KWIK KUTS FamilyHairSalon 1064SouthMainSt.,RedBluff•529-3540 ANY RETAIL PRODUCT 20 % off withanychemicalserviceof $50 or more Notgoodwithotheroffers Expires 8/31/14 With coupon Reg. $13.95 LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Wednesday, August 6, 2014 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A5