This coming April will mark the 50^th anniversary of Earth Day. Originally started to bring awareness to air and water pollution, the event is now recognized in over 190 countries. The environmental issues may have changed over the years, but the focus of helping our planet remains the same. Let's take a look at some of the ways that are making a big impact now.

Sustainable Goods

These are items that are usually made from raw materials (think bamboo, hemp & organic cotton) that serve a function now, but will also be easily broken down or recycled in the future.

Recent examples would be people using metal straws instead of plastic or choosing reusable sandwich bags in lieu of the fold-over baggies.

AccuVent is ProVia’s proprietary design for both the venting and locking of their patio doors. It features a two-part mechanism that connects at both the midpoint of the panel and ratchets at the top of the frame for multiple venting options. It also acts as a secondary lock so say goodbye to putting a stick in your door!

There’s nothing better than a pop of color to spice up something, whether it be a drab desk in an office or a bright pillow on a comfortable couch. Color touches our entire world and now, thanks to Provia, color can touch our homes too. Provia offers their patented Inspirations Art Glass to perk up any entrance door, storm door, patio door, or window glass. A design is first laid out by Provia’s computer software and then applied on the glass by a CNC machine. All of the patterns are created by Provia’s employees and you can bring them your own idea to ‘inspire’ a creation especially for you. There are no limits to the colorful options!

Home maintenance can be a tricky thing. You can go for years with no issues, and then one day look around and notice not one, but all of your windows are drafty and in sad shape. If you don't have cash set aside to make the necessary improvements to your home's windows, (or door replacement) there are financing options to help you cover this cost. Let's take a look at some common choices.

Using an Existing Credit Card

A great option to consider if the dollar amount is on the lower side. This also avoids you having to open up another loan, which means no waiting for an approval. If you have a credit card that rewards you with cash back that is a nice perk, just make sure you can pay it off in a timely manner so you don't negate that benefit. You may also want to check your current interest rate. If it on the higher side, another loan-type may be a better option.

Chocolate as we know and love it began in Southern Mexico where it was first enjoyed as a fermented beverage as early as 450 BC. The Aztecs believed that the cacao seeds, from which chocolate is made, were a gift from their God of Wisdom, Quetzalcoatl. The seeds of the cacao had so much value to the ancients that they were even used as currency. [One hundred seeds could buy you one turkey!]

With all these great things happening, it’s easy to get caught up in the nostalgia and forget that Prohibition was also active from January, 1920 to December, 1933. Like much of our history, even Prohibition has been romanticized with restaurants and bars shaping themselves as a callback to that era of gangsters and flappers. After all, who doesn’t love the idea of giving a password and being let into a speakeasy to steal a drink under the cover of the star-spangled night? If you’d like to feel that vibe when you come home, Provia has got you covered.

 Like any good birthday cake, it would not be complete without a rich layer of icing and perhaps some adornments as well....candles, cake toppers, celebratory words. It's the same with your entry-way, the lighting (candles) and hardware (cake toppers) you choose, all work together to make the cake a focal point for the guest of honor. Let's tackle this area one layer at a time.

Lighting

The goal of entryway lighting should combine beauty and make guests feel secure at night. As an added bonus, it may lower your electric bill depending on the bulbs you choose.   

Here’s the truth—working in an office is dull. We’re stationary all day everyday like a bunch of barnacles stuck to a ship. Lucky for us, our office manager Shannon is one of the most active people I know and she motivated my coworker, Joe, and me to start off our morning strong with our now-trademark Office Plank.

As the new year approaches, we all take the time to think about things we would like to improve or focus on for ourselves in the new year. How about making some resolutions for your home? It makes sense to enhance the area you spend much of your year in. Feel free to add some or all of these suggestions to your resolution list. 

Deck the halls with boughs of holly…! Tis the season to be—damaging your door with Christmas decorations! Well, it’s that time of year again when we all decorate our house to the nines and the winter weather blows in and makes a mess of all the pretty decorations. My personal nemesis is the wreath that I hang on my door. It seems that the wind is always making it crooked and twisting up the lights. Here are a few out-of-the-box ideas to try to minimize the frustration of hanging your wreath on the door.

No matter where you hail from, there is a legend about the origins of winter weather. In Russia, it is represented in Father Frost, a blacksmith who binds water to earth with heavy chains. In Germany, she is an old woman who causes snow by shaking white feathers from her bed. In the United States and Britain, Old Man Winter is responsible for nipping the noses of lovers and the toes of young children. In Norse mythology, he is a minor demi-god called Jokul Frosti meaning “icicle frost.”

A.B.E. Doors and Windows deals in LiftMaster brand electric operators for garage doors. A recent addition to our in-stock operators is LiftMaster’s WLED. It is driven by a belt system and has a quiet yet powerful DC motor. The combination offers a soft and quiet start/stop function, smooth operation, and long-lasting service. The 12V DC motor and belt come with a lifetime warranty.

A trend is starting to take shape in our office. Most of these begin with our general manager, Marc, and I having a conversation whereupon one of us will say something the other one questions. Then, I do research and wind up blogging about it. Most recently, I was talking about our newest recruit being “the Low Man on the Totem Pole.” Marc was confused as he thought that the lower figures on the totem pole were the more important ones. That makes sense, but that wasn’t how I understood the saying. Thus, I began to search for the truth. 

Whether you are one strand kinda person or tend to cover every possible area with lights, it's important that you hang your decorations with care, so you can admire them standing up.....not flat out on your back. We surveyed over 100 elves for the best tips and tricks to make sure you, and the surfaces you use, hold up well year after year.

A few things to consider before you start decorating. Knowing what surfaces you will be working with will help you determine what instruments you will need to help hang, fasten or drape decorations on. You should also determine if this is an area that you will use year after year, you may want to use better quality nails or fastening items if you plan on leaving these things in place for future holidays. If you will be removing nails afterwards make sure you have the proper items to fill the hole.   

We all know jack-o-lanterns. However, in the early 1500s, the term ‘jack-of-the-lantern’ was applied to people, not pumpkins. It originally meant ‘a man with a lantern’ or a night watchman. In its earliest recordings, the term was used to encompass the mysterious lights sometimes seen at night over bogs, swamps, and marshes. These ghostly lights are caused by nothing more than the ignition of natural gases created by decomposing plant matter. However, for centuries before the scientific explanation was known, ancient people made up stories to explain these jack-o-lanterns, hinkypunks, corpse candles, will-o-the-wisps, fairy lights, and fool’s fires.