Food, Entertainment, and Arts

Food, Entertainment, and Arts

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

101 Things I Love about Portland Maine




207. GOGI, Korean and Mexican restaurant on Congress St:  lunch was delicious~~sweet potato fries--crisp outside; fried pork dumplings--crunchy and hot; fish and chicken tacos--soft shell and fresh ingredients.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Merry Christmas


From my house to yours......

101 Things I Love about Portland Maine



206. Limo Service from Affinity in Buxton Maine:  Great way to travel in luxury.  We enjoyed seeing the Christmas lights with our expert and friendly driver Amanda.  http://affinity-limousine.com/

Sunday, December 11, 2011

101 Things I Love about Portland Maine

205.  Standard Baking Company on Commercial Street (behind Fore Street Restaurant):  This outstanding bakery has fabulous breads of all types~~most notably their baguettes.  At the holidays you can also find delicious treats like these lobster shaped sugar cookies.

Friday, December 9, 2011

How to Seal Out Drafts and Seal in Comfort

Published: December 14, 2010 By: Jeanne Huber

Seal air leaks around your windows and doors to prevent wasting precious home heating and cooling energy that costs you money.Effort: Low 3-4 hours

Investment: Low $25-$37
Caulking and adding new weatherstripping can make old windows more efficient.
An average home loses up to 30% of its heating and cooling energy through air leaks. The most significant air leaks tend to occur around windows and doors. To stop air leaks and prevent your home heating and cooling dollars from vanishing in the wind, it’s important to seal any air leaks around windows and doors.

Check for air leaks
With windows and doors closed, hold a lit stick of incense near window and door frames where drafts might sneak in. Watch for smoke movement. Note what sources need caulk, sealant, and weather-stripping.

Seal air leaks around windows
If you have old windows, caulking and adding new weatherstripping goes a long way toward tightening them up.

Bronze weatherstripping ($12 for 17 feet) lasts for decades but is time-consuming to install.

Self-stick plastic types are easy to put on but don’t last very long.

Adhesive-backed EPDM rubber ($8 for 10 feet) is a good compromise, rated to last at least 10 years.

Nifty gadgets called pulley seals ($9 a pair) block air from streaming though the holes where cords disappear into the frames.

Seal air leaks around doors
Check for air leaks, and replace old door weatherstripping with new.

Foam-type tape has an adhesive backing; it’s inexpensive and easy to install. If it comes loose, reinforce it with staples.

Felt is either adhesive-backed or comes with flexible metal reinforcement. it must be tacked or glued into place. It’s cheap and easy to install, but it has low durability.

Tubular rubber, vinyl, and silicone weatherstripping is relatively expensive and tricky to install, but it provides an excellent seal. Some types come with a flange designed to fit into pre-cut grooves in the jambs of newer doors; check your existing weatherstripping and replace with a similar style.

Check exterior trim for any gaps between the trim and your door frames, and the trim and your siding. Caulk gaps with an exterior latex caulk ($5 for a 10-ounce tube).

Jeanne Huber Jeanne Huber is the author of 10 books about home improvement and writes a weekly column about home care for the Washington Post.

Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/maintenance-repair/seal-air-leaks-around-windows-and-doors/#ixzz1g4BX46VG

Thursday, December 1, 2011

101 Things I Love about Portland Maine



204.  Wine Bar on Wharf Street in Old Port: Relaxed, inviting atmosphere with comfy chairs and couches and fireplace plus friendly staff and good food make this a great meeting place.  Oh, and the wine selection is great, too!

Closing in Portland~~ Happy Seller