whole house remodeling guide

The Girl Who LOVES Bugs by Lily Murray – picture book review
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The Girl Who LOVES Bugs by Lily Murray – picture book review

May 3, 2023

Hands up who has a little one that LOVES bugs? Me too! From the moment she clapped her eyes on them, that was it. Ladybirds in her hair, snails who somehow managed to come to tea, and little pet woodlice wriggling around in their new ‘leaf houses’.

It’s no surprise that we’ve completely fallen in love with the new picture book, The Girl Who LOVES bugs by Lily Murray. It’s newly published just in time for bug season by Macmillan Children’s Books. Here’s what we thought.

The Girl Who LOVES Bugs by Lily Murray - picture book review

The Girl Who LOVES Bugs by Lily Murray

Synopsis

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Helical piles can speed up a home renovation
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Helical piles can speed up a home renovation

Published April 25, 2023 • 3 minute read

Helical piles can speed up a home renovation
Mike Holmes with Jake Ward from TechnoMetal Post installing helical piles to support a new deck being built on Holmes Family Rescue, Season 1, as it is a great alternative to sonotube or concrete footings. Photo by The Holmes Group photograph

With warmer weather on the horizon, residential construction and renovation projects will increase, and many projects will need structural support.

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The Nine Circles of Home Renovation Hell
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The Nine Circles of Home Renovation Hell

First Circle: Limbo

Midway on our journey in life, we find ourselves in a dark kitchen, surrounded by oak cabinets and laminate flooring, our savings account completely lost. Welcome to reno limbo, a place where nothing happens, as the good crews are booked for several centuries. In this circle, the pagans shout “DIY! DIY!” toiling back and forth to Home Depot, lost in the labyrinth, unable to find help or penny tile. They refused to accept the bidding of Jesus, a master carpenter from Piscataway. Above the gates, a sign reads, ABANDON YOUR HOMEYE WHO can

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Woman dies in blaze that destroys home in Belmar
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Woman dies in blaze that destroys home in Belmar

BELMAR−A fire that engulfed and then destroyed a three-story home on Surf Avenue claimed the life of the elderly woman who lived there, a family member said.

Kevin Colie, 58, told the Asbury Park Press that his mother, Frances Colie, 93, was pronounced dead at a local hospital after the 4 pm blaze.

Woman dies in blaze that destroys home in Belmar

Firefighters work the scene of a fatal fire at Surf Ave. in Belmar, NJ Wednesday, March 15, 2023.

Colie said his family owned the house for about 50 years, since Colie was in the third grade.

He said they had recently done renovations at the house.

Borough

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Planning our loft conversion
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Planning our loft conversion

January 8, 2023

So, after 12 years of thinking about it, we are finally getting a loft conversion done. Yay! It might have taken covid and working from home to give us that final push (or maybe shove). But I am so glad we are taking the plunge.

Planning a loft conversion

Why a loft conversion?

To put it bluntly, it was far more cost effective for us to build up to create more space, than to move house. We live in an old, average, 3 bedroom Victorian house in London. You know, one of those long but fairly thin houses with a kitchen

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Sunlight lofts review – choosing a loft company to build your loft conversion
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Sunlight lofts review – choosing a loft company to build your loft conversion

January 15, 2023

Choosing a loft company to build your loft conversion is a big deal. I mean, a really, really BIG deal. It was probably the most nail-biting moment for me of the whole process, following our fair share of ekkk moments with building works in the past – remember when our floor dropped upstairs? It wasn’t a pretty sight, that’s for sure! So, choosing a loft company was the biggest leap of faith. Here’s how we chose Sunlight lofts to build our loft conversion – which was most definitely the best decision we made!

Sunlight lofts review – choosing a loft company to build your loft conversion

Choosing a loft company

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Five Fab Things – 23rd January 2023
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Five Fab Things – 23rd January 2023

January 23, 2023

It’s been a while *I keep saying that don’t I?! – but I’m back with my Five Fab Things post. They are the perfect reminder of all the great things going on, and especially fab for recording unseen stuff happening behind the scenes in the Button house. Here are my Five Fab Things from this week.

Five fab things

Our very own A-Team

You may have spotted that we are having a loft conversion done! Yassss!!!! And, I cannot believe I’m saying this, but the building work has nearly finished… already! The house is a little bit quieter, while the

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Council takes next step toward major renovation of Springfield’s Historic City Hall
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Council takes next step toward major renovation of Springfield’s Historic City Hall

Council takes next step toward major renovation of Springfield’s Historic City Hall

Construction is anticipated to begin on renovations at the historic City Hall in summer 2024 and completed sometime in 2026, a city spokesperson told the News-Leader.

Springfield City Council took a step toward renovating Historic City Hall, with council members giving city staff the green light to start searching for a contractor.

Construction is anticipated to begin in summer 2024 and be completed some time in 2026, a city spokesperson told the News-Leader.

The Historic City Hall building was originally constructed in 1891 as the US Customhouse and Post Office. Since then, three additions have increased its size to nearly

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