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Skagit Day Trip
Skagit Day Trip
Finally, after what has seemed like the never-ending winter, spring has made an appearance! The sun is shining, the air is cool and crisp, birds are singing, and we are eagerly waiting for the first opportunity to get out and explore. If you haven’t started planning already, we have a great day trip already planned for you in Skagit County! Skagit is packed with great shops, restaurants, and places to explore, and here are a few of our favorite spring-time activities.
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Tweets Café- Bow Edison, WA
What’s a day trip without filling up on a great breakfast or brunch to fuel you for a day packed with activity? Don’t let this little establishment fool you, Tweets is known for a breakfast and lunch menu filled with flavor that seems too big to fit into such a small space. Serving an array of seasonal dishes, Tweets uses local and organic ingredients to give them a unique and special touch. As soon as you walk in the door
you will feel like family. The owners have created a light and comfortable atmosphere as they welcome you inside and make you feel like you’ve known them forever.
Something that makes Tweets Café so charming is that they are only open Friday through Sunday from 9am-4pm. So, since you can’t just head over whenever, it makes it an extra special weekend treat. (Think of it like visiting your grandma on the weekend and so looking forward to those giant cookies she always bakes!) You will leave feeling full of delicious food, energized for your next adventure, and excited for the next weekend visit! Tweets Café only accepts cash, so make sure you drop by an ATM before heading that way!
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Skagit Valley Tulip Festival- Mt. Vernon, WA
If you’ve been in the area for any length of time, you are sure to have heard of the Tulip Festival. April 1-30th people will travel from all over to experience the sea of color made up by thousands of tulips. When visiting the festival, you will find every type of tulip you can imagine, and the sight of it is truly breathtaking. For an up-close experience, you will want to pay a visit to Tulip Town or RoozenGaarde. Maybe even both, as they both offer a completely different experience.
Tulip Town features huge fields with tulips as far as you can see, enormous and colorful kites flying, as well as their infamous windmill. After you’ve wandered the tulip fields and absorbed all its beauty you can make you way into the barn where you will find information on the different types of tulips, artwork by local artists, and fresh stems and bulbs for sale. Tulip Town is open from 9-5pm, 7 days a week for your enjoyment!
RoozenGaarde also gives you the experience of the tulip fields, but their specialty is the landscaped gardens you will stroll through. Every year, the gardens are landscaped differently, and hundreds of species of tulips are featured. You will find some different shops where you can purchase tulip bulbs, fresh cut stems, local artwork, concessions, and different types of souvenirs to commemorate your visit. RoozenGaarde is open 7 days a week throughout the festival from 9-7pm.
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Nasty Jacks Antiques- LaConner, WA
A dose of nostalgia is the best way to describe Nasty Jacks Antiques. Here you will find coin operated rides, a Zoltar machine, reproduced vintage signs, furniture, toys and so much more. There really is “something for everyone”! You can spend hours sorting through their huge, and constantly growing inventory. In fact, Nasty Jacks is home to one of the largest inventories of collectable LIFE and Saturday Evening Post magazines you’ve ever seen.
Being one of the largest antique stores in the region it is nice to know that Nasty Jacks is still owned and operated by the original founding family who will share with you the story of Nasty Jack and how the name came to be. (You must be curious by now!) The friendly service, and the original family is one the biggest things that make Nasty Jacks so charming and fun to visit. Take your time to really dig in and find that one item that speaks to you. A visit to Nasty Jacks will have you driving home and sharing all your childhood memories with your lucky passengers.
These are just a few of the places you can check out in Skagit, as there are so many great places to check out. What are some of your favorite places to visit this time of year?
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Don't Forget to Set up Utilities Before Closing
Set Up Utilities Before Closing
Everyone likes to have running water, electricity and garbage service when you move into your new home. If you’re under contract to buy a home and it’s about a week before closing… Now is the time to start calling all the utility companies you need to set up accounts with and get that ball rolling. If you don’t know what companies servicing the property ask your trusty real estate agent! To download a copy click here… Utility community contact information
The utility companies need to know what day you will be taking ownership and most of them will allow you to set up accounts in advance. Some of them will need to schedule appointments to come out and set up cable, the internet, etc. when a new service needs to be started so the sooner you can schedule this the better!
Some tips…
- If you have a cable, TV, satellite or any other company coming out to run wires into your home try to be there and be VERY specific about where you want the wires run, ensure that they do a high-quality job trying to hide and secure the wires, ask them to go the extra mile and avoid drilling additional holes if there are already holes nearby. Installers will take a lot more care if they know they are being watched and that it is important to you.
- Set up automatic payments where ever possible.
- Puget Sound Energy or PSE provides electricity to all of Whidbey Island. You can sign up for a budget account that will take out the same exact amount every month throughout the year instead of having it based on what you used the last month which results in much higher bills in the winter months.
As usual, if you have any question or suggestions, do not hesitate to call us at 360.675.5953!
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Before & After – The Importance of Staging
Before & After - The Importance of Staging
It is normal for you to love your home and all of your belongings. However, when it comes time to move, and you are ready to sell, you want your home to be as appealing as possible to as many buyers as possible. To accomplish this you must prepare your home in a way that buyers can envision themselves living there.
The purpose of staging is to make the home speak to everyone else, in a captivating manor. The last thing you want is your personal belongings distracting your buyers from the features of your home that will make it sell.
For example when buyers see:
Piles of papers everywhere it tells them there is not enough storage. Solution: straighten up, get rid of the unnecessary, and create a cleaner more inviting space.
Filled kitchen counters make them think there are not enough cabinets. Solution: Clear off your countertops.
Packed closets lead them to believe the closet is too small. Solution: Do a bit of spring cleaning before photo day get rid of the unnecessary, fold clothes, straighten shoes, and organize your clothes by color on your hangers.
Rooms with a lot of furniture makes them feel cramped and left feeling like there is not enough room. Solution: move furniture into a way that is fitting for each room, perhaps rearranging furniture into other rooms or reducing the amount of furniture altogether.
When your home is clean, clutter-free, and/or staged you are telling potential buyers that you take good care of your home, while simultaneously providing them a clean slate to imagine themselves living there.
81% of Realtors said staging helps buyers visualize the property as a future home, while 46% said it makes prospective buyers more willing to walk through a home they saw online.
Ready to get started?
So, you can either be the "house with the beautiful granite counters and fantastic views" or the "house with the National Geographic collection where the dinning table is supposed to be."
From Their Farm to Your Table
From Their Farm to Your Table
Just like most things nostalgic, many of us can recall our parents or grandparents growing something tasty in a small veggie garden. Remember those little cherry tomatoes that grow and develop into vibrant, juicy, delectable, red balls of happiness that burst in your mouth and send a tingle all the way down to your toes. If you have not been lucky enough to experience this taste and feeling you need to put that on your to do list this summer!
There is just something extra yummy about fresh out of the ground, sun-warmed produce.
You may be a little challenged in the gardening department or more likely just too busy to tend a garden. You may be wishing you could grow your own fresh produce instead of digging through bins at the store for an acceptable looking vegetable from halfway across the world.
If this is you, a farm share may be the perfect solution and an experience that every Whidbey resident should have at least once!
Wait a minute, what on earth is a farm share? (Don’t worry, many say the same thing when they first learned about them!)
A farm share allows you to purchase a weekly “share” from a local farm’s crop. We are so lucky here on Whidbey to have agriculture and amazing produce farms just minutes away.
Check it out! Some things you should know about how important and special farm shares are…
#1 Eating seasonally tastes better! When you purchase fresh-grown produce, you are receiving crops that change with seasons. Unlike the grocery store, where everything is available most of the year, farm shares are providing you with produce that grows and ripens at different times of the year. Naturally ripened food that doesn’t have to travel far tastes different, better…
#2 Get creative & adventurous in the kitchen! With trying new produce comes trying new recipes, experimenting with your new-found veggies, and learning how to cook with the seasons. This is an excellent chance to experience produce you have never tried or may have never heard of before. You may end up with things like arugula, green garlic, beans, beets, broccoli, carrots, chard, pears, apples, strawberries… the list goes on and on!
#3 Support the rural/agricultural feel of Whidbey by supporting our local farmers! By participating in a farm share, you are not only enjoying fresh produce each week, you are supporting a local farmer and the local economy. Farms shares cut out the middle man. Instead of being sent off for packaging and delivery, produce is harvested and put together in a box, basket, or bag for you to take home and enjoy. By paying for your share upfront, the farmer can use that money to purchase seeds, bulbs, and other necessities to keep their farm running, and provide you with high quality produce. Another bonus: knowing how much crop they need helps farmers plan better for the growing season, resulting in less waste!
So, where on Whidbey Island can you participate in a farm share? Several farms in Coupeville, Freeland, Langley, and Clinton participate in Community Supported Agriculture programs (CSA). The growing season typically runs the end of March through November/September, and prices range from $200-$800 a growing season, depending on how large of a selection you want each week. Some of these farms offer fresh eggs, poultry, and pork as well. Each farm has a different process for sign up, payment, and pick up so be sure to check out their website to find out how you can get involved in your very own farm share.
Prairie Bottom Farm- Coupeville
Wilbur & Julieanna Purdue
http://www.prairiebottomfarm.com/csa/
Rosehip Farm & Garden- Coupeville
Linda Bartlett & Valerie Reuther
http://rosehipfarmandgarden.com/data/csa.html
Deep Harvest Farm- Freeland
Annie Jesperson & Nathaniel Talbot
https://deepharvestfarm.com/csa/
12 Birches Farm- Langley
Anna Petersons
https://deepharvestfarm.com/csa/
Ebb Tide Produce- Langley
Blake & Bobbie Mennella
Jack Baars, Whitney Heitzman
https://www.ebbtideproduce.com/services
Full Cycle Farm- Langley
Britt & Eric Conn
http://www.fullcyclefarm.com/food.html
SkyRoot Farm- Clinton
Beth Wheat & Arwen Norman
http://www.skyrootfarm.com/community-supprted-agriculture/
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Purchasing Vacant Land
Purchasing vacant land:
Written by: Simona Groves
Ahhhh, the lovely earthy scent produced by the rain or the morning dew, the buzzing of the bees and the many of shades of green enchanting the view. Who doesn’t like to be immersed into nature and fantasize about living in it?
If you are one of the many Americans that would love to buy raw land and build your dream home, let me help you with this complex but exciting task.
Make sure you take into consideration these details:
If you don’t have a preferred lender let me know and I can help with the perfect match.
Understand how the land can be used. Local government usually have established zoning regulations.
Call your local planning and zoning department and they will provide you with the information.
Check the island county webpage here
We will need to do some research and this will include things that can be forgotten: utilities.
You need to make sure to check if the lot has access to public utilities: electricity, sewer, gas, water etc.
Last but not least, make sure you do thorough and expansive research about home builders.
I would be more than happy to give my recommendations.
Learn more about Simona Groves:
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How to Install Laminate Flooring
How to Install Laminate Flooring:
Written by: Anita Johnston
How many times have you thought “I can install laminate flooring” or “I wish I could do that?” Flooring is one of those renovation projects that allure newbies most often. After mastering the skill of installing your own floor it can liberate the home owner which can be good and bad for a home.
I have walked through many homes and within a second I can pick out a home owner renovation project. From spaces between cabinets that weren’t properly attached together or gaps that weren’t perfectly filled with a filler pencil. And flooring………. I have seen the worst flooring jobs while touring houses for sale. A new floor can add great value to a home. But an improperly installed floor can actually deduct value from a home. I just saw this recently with a home that the appraiser specifically noted the poor flooring installation and downgraded the value of the home.
There’s several things to keep in mind when installing flooring. Prepping the floor is a must. If you’ve removed carpet then you definitely had to endure the tedious task of removing staples that was holding down the carpet pad.
Sweeping the floor to make double sure that there’s nothing sticking up that won’t allow the floor to lie perfectly flat and level. Second you need to decide where to start. If it’s just one room that’s easier. You simply start running your flooring parallel to the entrance. Once you lay out your first row you will then take your cut board and lay it in place to start your next row. There should never be less than 4″ from the end of one board to and other ends the row before or after. You should tap the boards together until they click together and all gaps are gone.
The Salty Mug
Looking for that extra special coffee?
You cannot beat this specialty salted caramel coffee drink, named “The Salty Mug” from… well The Salty Mug.
Take a stroll down the Coupeville Wharf and you will come upon a beautiful red barn nestled by the waves at the end. Inside you will find a gift shop, a restaurant and The Salty Mug coffee shop. Don’t forget to look up and see Rosie the Gray whale while inside as well as the Handsome Samson & Rudy!
Towards the back of the building you will discover a small entrance to a quaint coffee shop, The Salty Mug. Inside you will notice art hanging on the walls featuring local artists, fresh baked goodies lining the counters and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. There is cozy seating inside with glorious views out the windows looking across Penn Cove allowing you to enjoy the view even on the chilly days.
Ask owner David Howell (pictured) and his wife Pat what their suggested drink is and they will say, “the salty mug of course” they are not kidding. OH MY GOODNESS it is so good you will not want to try anything else.
Finally, escape from reality as you venture out the side doors onto their beautiful patio. It is here you get to see some of the most beautiful views on the island. Why not sit awhile and smell the crisp sea breeze and listen to the local wildlife splash in the water. Did I mention the view? Seriously, what is better than a warm cup of coffee while looking at the majestic snow capped mountains across the ocean?
For more about The Salty Mug click here.
Video on the History of the Coupeville Wharf:
Keep a watch out for other blogs:
Harbor Gift N’Kayak Rental
The cove Café
