Coordinating décor throughout the home is wellknown to homeowners. Everyone aspires to a homethat flows seamlessly from one room to another,integrated in look and feel by paint colors, flooringand window treatments.

A relatively new aspect of coordinated home décoris evolving today. Homeowners are being encouragedto coordinate their sense of style from inside the hometo outdoor living areas. As the size and sophisticationof decks, patios and outdoor rooms grow each year,outdoor spaces are serving as extensions from insidethe home.

“All of the wonderful appointments used in outdoorspaces have blurred the distinction between inside andoutside living areas,” said Gina Wicker, creative directorfor the Sunbrella brand of performance fabrics. “With atastefully decorated home, you feel as if you have walkedinto another room when you step onto a deck or patio.”

Wicker offers these tips for creating seamless décorinside and out:

Color continuity. Colors should flow naturally frominterior to outdoor spaces. By working with aperformance fabrics collection such as Sunbrella, youcan select the same or complementary fabric colors.

Integrated living areas. Rooms that are adjacent tooutdoor spaces should be decorated as a single,integrated living area. Upholstery, window treatments,rugs and throws from the same performance fabricsgroup create an integrated look and feel.

Awnings. Awnings allow you to open windowtreatments to enjoy the view without heat gain fromthe sun.

If you are currently using another Real Estate Professional, please disregard this notice.

Coordinating Home Décor Inside and Out

I hope you enjoy this month’s

newsletter which is full of

tips and ideas for you as a

homeowner.

As an experienced real estate

professional, I have an in-

depth understanding of my

clients’ needs and challenges.

I want you to know that my

experience is at your disposal,

so please feel free to call me

for any of your real estate

and/or home warranty needs.

SpringNews

mark@tourgeman.comDRE# 01877290

www.tourgeman.comCell: (619) 250-2389Tel: (619) 489-6656San Diego, CA 921033965 Fifth Avenue Suite 300Keller Williams - San Diego MetroMark Tourgeman

Courtsey: Family FunMagazine

Try this neat surprise for AprilFool’s Day: a healthy snackand a good looking one too!The first surprise here: there’snot a grain of sugar in thesecupcakes. The secondsurprise: your kids will lovethem anyway.

Ingredients

Meatloaf1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese3 tablespoons ketchup1 egg

Weather April Showers by Properly Preparing YourVehicle

While it may be true thatApril showers bring Mayflowers, rain also creates wetroads and low drivingvisibility. To better weatherthe spring storms,Tires Plusrecommends the following:

Keep the pressure on.Now is the time to pay closeattention to your tires.Regularly check your tiresfor proper inflation,rotation, repair andreplacement. Checking tirepressure is important; bothunder- and over-inflationlessens a tire’s grippingaction. Further, rotating

your tires can help correct irregular tire wear. Enlist the help of your localautomotive technician in order to select a tire made for wet-weather drivingand enhanced traction.

Wipe away the problem. Take a few moments to check your windshieldwipers; they don’t last forever. If the rubber feels rough or is cracked, replacethe wiper blades - in most climates about every six months.

Take tread seriously. Familiarize yourself with the “penny test” as a way tocheck your tire tread. Insert a penny in the tread with Lincoln’s head down.If you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, the tread is worn, and the tireprobably needs to be replaced.Your passenger tires should have at least 2/32inch of tread depth; anything less is hazardous on the wet roads.

Avoid potholes. Hitting a pothole can damage your tire and/or the wheelof your vehicle.The sharp impact can cause immediate tire/wheel failure orinternal damage that can lead to tire failure weeks later. Keeping your tiresproperly inflated will help reduce pothole damage and other road hazards.

Whether you are preparing for a long-awaited spring vacation or justeveryday driving, don’t forget to properly prepare your vehicle to weatherany storm.Take every precaution while on the road, and when experiencingwet road conditions remember to keep in mind that stopping distances willbe longer than usual. And, finally, do not forget that proper vehiclemaintenance can help your car stay newer longer this spring season.

Colorful Cupcakes for April Fool’s day 1/2 teaspoon celery salt1/4 teaspoon pepper

Potato Frosting3 cups mashed potatoesFood coloring

Instructions1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 12 muffin tin cups with foil bake

cups.2. In a large bowl, mix together all of the meat loaf ingredients until well

combined. Divide the mixture evenly among the lined cups (the linersshould be about three quarters full).

3. Place the filled muffin tins on cookie sheets and bake the cupcakes forabout 15 minutes or until cooked through.

4. Divide the mashed potatoes among three small bowls and stir a fewdrops of food coloring into each batch to create blue, yellow, and pinkpastel frostings. Spread a generous dollop on each cupcake. Makes 12 cupcakes.

Make Pest Proofing Partof Your Spring CleaningRoutine

If the sight of ants, spiders, mice orother household pests inside yourhome sends you running to jumpup on a chair or cringing as youbravely squash the intruders, thenspring may prove to be a harrowingtime. Homeowners can avoid someseasonal stress by stopping pestsfrom coming inside with some easypreventative measures.

Although many homeownersoften overlook it, their home isfilled with hundreds or more tinycracks and holes through whichpests can enter. The best way tolimit your unwelcome intruders is to deny them entry - a procedure bestknown as pest proofing. And there is no better time to pest proof yourhome than during spring cleaning.

Many pests seek refuge in homes and other buildings as a result of changesin weather, such as onset of cooler temperatures in autumn or extendedperiods of rain or drought.Taking steps to block their entry before they endup inside can greatly reduce the chances of future sightings.

Install door sweeps and use caulk to fill gaps that may be around yourdoors and windows.These cracks are often areas where indoor air escapesand is noticed by outdoor pests, prompting them to make their way inside.Also, when it comes time to begin installing your screen doors andwindows, make sure that there are no rips or punctures that need patching.It is also a good idea to install 1/4-inch wire mesh over attic, roof andcrawl space vents in order to prevent entry of birds, bats, squirrels,rodents and other nuisance wildlife.

Whether you have ants, termites, cockroaches, bed bugs or other householdpests, the earlier you address a pest problem, the sooner you can rid yourself ofa more serious infestation. Pest-control professionals, sometimes known asexterminators and pest-control technicians, have the experience and expertiseto rid your home of pest infestations and protect your home and family frompest threats while maintaining your quality of life.