7 Tips To Protect Yourself On Black Friday/Cyber Monday

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Great tips for busy shopping days

Happy Friday!

Happy Thanksgiving!

10 Tips For Being A Great Thanksgiving Guest

thekitchn.com

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Not hosting the big meal this year? Here are some tips to be an awesome guest!

Habits Of Highly Effective Home Buyers

phoenixrealestateguy

Freedigitalphotos.net

1. Get pre-approved: Meet with a lender to see if you qualify for a mortgage and if so, how much. It's important to know what your budget is while house hunting and it's crucial to be pre-approved before submitting an offer on a home.
2. Determine what your must haves, like to haves, and cannot haves are: The home search will be much easier if you can narrow down the features you absolutely need in a home, what you would like to have in a home but is not necessary, and features that you do not want in your future home.
3. Be realistic: Find out what homes are going for in the area you are interested in.
4. Be flexible: Unless you are custom building your dream home, it may be difficult to find every single thing on your wish list in a home. When touring houses, it's important to take in the whole picture and understand what things you can easily change to make the house your own.
5. Have fun: Buying a home does not have to be a stressful process; have fun with it and enjoy the journey to finding your new home!

10 Interior Design Trends That May Turn Buyers Off

realtor.com

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You desire for your home to look the best it can and you may feel inspired to try out some popular design trends, however, these may not bode well with potential buyers.

Happy Friday!

Nabby's Of Plainfield

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Nabby's of Plainfield will be offering 99 cent hot dogs and hamburgers this Saturday and Sunday, November 22nd-23rd. Owner Mike Vitullo is encouraging guests to donate their savings to the Plainfield Interfaith Food Pantry to help them prepare for Thanksgiving. 

Nabby's 

14802 N. Michigan Street

Hours: 6 am-9 pm Saturday

7 am-8 pm Sunday

9 Kitchen Trends With Staying Power

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Remodeling your kitchen can be a huge investment, so make sure you are spending your money well by making choices that will last

Bedrooms That Prove Your Bed Doesn't Have To Be Against A Wall

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7 bedrooms with uniquely placed beds

Guide To Buying Bath Vanities And Cabinets

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These are great tips if you are in the market for bath vanities and cabinets!

Tips For Selling Your Home In The Winter

Veterans United

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1. Show the year round beauty of your home: With brown lawns and bare trees being the dominant scenery during the winter, landscaping doesn't usually look its best during the cold months. Show buyers the true beauty of your home by including pictures of your home during warmer months in the listing.
2. Keep your home warm and cozy: Create a warm and inviting experience for potential buyers by maintaining a comfortable temperature in your home (between 65 and 70 degrees), highlighting any working fireplaces (but don't have fires going for obvious safety reasons), open blinds and shades to allow natural light in, and have cozy blankets and throws draped on seating areas.
3. Decorate tastefully for the holidays: Holiday decor can make your home attractive to buyers as long as it is kept simple and not over the top.
4. Less inventory can be an advantage: Typically during the winter time there are less homes on the market which can be an asset to homeowners selling their homes during this time. Review comparable homes in the area and make a list of your home's unique features. Is your home one of the few houses in your price range that has a fireplace? Are you located in a great school district? It's important to determine what features your home has to offer, especially those that other similar homes may not have. Don't be shy about letting potential buyers know about all the great features your home has to offer.

10 Kitchen Design Mistakes To Avoid

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If you are planning on designing or remodeling a kitchen, steer clear of these mistakes!

Awesome Housewarming Gift Ideas

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Here are some ways to go above and beyond by giving your family and friends awesome and unique housewarming gifts...

Happy Friday

25 Costco Shopping Secrets

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With the holidays just around the corner, I bet many of us will be making a Costco run at some point in order to prepare for all of the big meals ahead of us. Here's some Costco secrets that go well beyond the free samples....

Unique Garage Conversions

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Garage Renovations That Wow

Common Holiday Hosting Problems And How To Avoid Them

Redfin

Freedigitalphotos.net

Imagine that you have the turkey all brined, the side dishes and desserts ready to go into the the oven, and 25 people on their way to your home. You go to put the turkey into the oven and uh oh-the oven won't heat up! What do you do now?? Many of us have experienced a stressful hosting situation; here are some ways to avoid common problems that may come up just in time for a holiday get together.

• A cold oven: One way to avoid this issue is to not use the self clean option on your oven until after the holidays. Using the self clean option on an oven may blow a fuse or thermostat and finding an oven technician can be very difficult around the holidays. 
• Clogged kitchen sink: The day after Thanksgiving is the busiest day of the year  for plumbers, mainly due to the kitchen drain not being used properly. Keep in mind that fat and cooking oils can become solid and clog the pipes under your sink so never dispose of them by putting them down the drain. Always ensure that your garbage disposal is running before anything is put down it and don't put fibrous foods down it such as poultry skin or potato peels. If your sink does clog, avoid using chemical products that can harm the pipes. It's best to use a snake which is available for around $15 at your local hardware store. 
• The heat goes out: Regular maintenance of your HVAC system is very important; every 90 days a new one inch pleated furnace filter should be installed. If you haven't done this in awhile, now is a good time to do that. Inspect the insulation on refrigerant lines that lead into your house and replace any that are missing or damaged. 
• The fridge doesn't stay cool: Get a thermometer for your fridge and make sure that each shelf stays below 40 degrees. Look at the condenser coils which are either on the back of the unit or underneath it and make sure they are not obstructed or dirty which can prevent air from circulating.

A Warm And Cozy Home

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Tips On How To Create A Warm And Inviting Space

Gravity Defying Houses

Good Housekeeping

Unique homes that are NOT for the faint of heart!

Turkey Raffle

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The Plainfield Fire Department is hosting their annual Turkey Raffle on Saturday, November 15th at the Fire District Administration and Training Facility beginning at 7 pm. The event is for adults only and there will be turkeys, hams, and door prizes raffled off. For more information, you can call (815) 436-5335.

Fire District Administration and Training Facility
23748 W. 135th Street

Heartwarming Local Plainfield Story

Plainfield Patch

Plainfield Woman Loses Ring While Passing Out Halloween Candy And Gets A Surprise

Happy Friday

Weekend Brunch Recipe: Breakfast Braid

Credit: allrecipes.com

Ham Breakfast Braid (6 servings)
allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of milk
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 8 eggs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 (8 oz) packages of refrigerated crescent roll dough
• 4 ounces cooked ham, thinly sliced
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Beat milk and cream cheese together until smooth. Mix in eggs and season with salt and pepper. Heat a lightly oiled skillet over medium high heat and cook egg mixture until they are almost set.
3. Form one package of crescent rolls into a rectangle shape on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Place the rolls from the remaining package along the edges of the two long sides of the rectangles with the broad half of the rolls on top of the first layer of rolls and the pointed ends extending over the sides of the pan.
4. Place the ham along the center of the dough. Spoon the cooked egg mixture over the top of the ham and then place the cheddar cheese on top of the eggs. Bring the corners of the rolls together over the cheese to form a braid.
5. Bake in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the rolls are golden brown.
6. Enjoy!

Plainfield Named Among Top 100 Safest Cities In The Nation

www.plainfield.patch.com

Credit: Freedigitalphotos.net 

For the second consecutive year, Plainfield ranks among the top 100 safest cities in the nation according to Neighborhoodscout.com. The list is comprised of cities having a population of at least 25,000 and is based on the total number of both property and violent crimes per 1,000 residents (Neighborhoodscout).  This honor is given to the city of Plainfield shortly after NerdWallet established Plainfield as one of the best places to own a home in Illinois.

Bringing The Playground Indoors

Flickr.com

Now that the cool weather is here and winter is not far away, the kids aren't able to play on the playground as much-or are they? These homeowners decided to bring the playground to them and put one inside their own home!

Indoor Playgrounds