By Mike & Matt Blank, MBC Building & Remodeling

Parents know that they rarely have the same ideas and opinions as their children – you might want one design while your 8-year-old daughter has a completely different concept in mind. Here are a few helpful decorating tips that aim to please the whole family:

First of all, talk to your child and understand his or her vision for the room and incorporate some of those ideas in the design.

Keep in mind your daughter or son are the ones living in the room, so even if it is hard for you to do, compromising with them on what they want and what you’ll allow will yield the greatest results for both of you. If you don’t want to get too crazy with painting, use a neutral wall color in the room; add punch and color with accessories and accents.

Here’s a look at some of the hottest trends for children’s bedrooms:

For Both: Functionality is important in a child’s room.

Adding items like a desk or table to work on is a great idea. Educational letters and images capture the imagination. Many online retailers have inspirational and motivational posters which can help instill focus, drive and passion in your little one’s as the dream big!

For Girls: It’s all about bright colors for girls, from purple to lime green to the ever-popular pink. Think personalized sweetheart pillows and throws. Adding items that can be personalized is a great way to make your child feel like the room truly is her own special place.

For Boys: Does your little guy love sports? Choose accessories that have his favorite professional logo on them, such as a bedspread or poster. If your son isn’t a sports nut, you can incorporate any interest into affordable decor that will personalize the room.

I can’t believe all of the damage that I have seen recently from Ice Dams.  These form at the eave of the building usually where the gutter is.    They can cause water to back up into the building, causing thousands of dollars of damage.

There is some good news though.  The fix does not have to be that costly, if you catch it early.  Here is a link to a video of a quick and easy way to break up the darn dams that ran on WGAL.

I hope this helps you!   Call your insurance carrier to be certain you are covered for this as we are hearing some  insurance companies are not covering if icicles and snow are not cleared off your roof.

The schedule of events, organized by the Mennonite Historical Society, are viewable at the Lancaster Roots 300 Website.  Be sure to check out the wide variety of opportunities to attend and volunteer!

Attorney General Tom Corbett said the foreclosure relief is part of a broad-based package intended to assist borrowers in Pennsylvania who were allegedly misled by Countrywide and encouraged to take out mortgage loans they did not understand and ultimately could not afford.

Corbett explained that this portion of the settlement was created to assist qualified borrowers whose Countrywide loans resulted in foreclosure.  All eligible Pennsylvania consumers received claim forms and instructions in 2009.

Corbett said a review of the claims returned by consumers identified a total of 630 Pennsylvania Countrywide borrowers who were eligible for foreclosure relief.  Each of those consumers will receive a payment of $4,364.57. The checks, along with official notification letters from the Attorney General’s Office, should be delivered to all consumers within the next week.

Corbett noted that the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection is involved in an ongoing effort to assist several thousand Pennsylvania homeowners who became entangled in the national controversy involving subprime and adjustable rate mortgages involving Countywide.

“The foreclosure relief being distributed this week is one part of a multi-million dollar effort to assist Pennsylvania consumers who have suffered because of Countrywide’s lending practices,” Corbett said.

Corbett noted that the Countrywide settlement agreement includes various forms of assistance for other borrowers, including:

• Affordable, streamlined loan modification offers to qualified subprime and pay option adjustable rate mortgage borrowers in Pennsylvania;
• Waivers of default/delinquency fees, loan modification fees and prepayment penalties under specified conditions;
• Relocation assistance in the form of cash payments to qualified consumers to help in their transition to a new residence.

“To date, a total of 2,560 Countrywide loans in Pennsylvania have been modified – saving consumers more than $26.5 million in reduced principal and interest,” Corbett said. “Also, loan modification offers have been made to an additional 1,500 borrowers, which could result in another $44.7 million in savings for consumers.”

Corbett noted that consumers can call the settlement administrator’s hotline at 1-866-411-6987 for more information about their eligibility for foreclosure relief.  Additional questions may be directed to the Bank of America/Countrywide hotline at 1-800-669-6607.

Consumers with concerns or complaints are encouraged to contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Hotline, at 1-800-441-2555, or file an online consumer complaint.

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Read the Countrywide Settlement Press Release here at the Attorney General’s site

The famous saying goes “A carpenter is as only good as his tools.”  I’m not sure I buy into this completely, but I see where the originator was going with it.  As we handle our finances, we stand a much better chance of success if we equip ourselves with various tools to help us meet our goals, whatever they may be.

Below, I’ve compliled a list of 10 financial tools for better finance management.  This is in no way exhaustive, but is a great start to filling your own toolbox with what you need.

1. Quicken™ – a cash flow tracking software program
2. mVelopes – a program designed by Crown Financial that utilizes the cash envelope system online
3. Auto-contributions – setup your IRA or saving accounts for automatic withdrawals
4. Automated extra payment – talk to your mortgage company about setting up an extra monthly amount towards your principle
5. Receipts – keep and use to more accurately track your spending
6. JoesGoals.com – simple way to track daily goals, such as reducing spending
7. A budget – you won’t win at finance until you become the one telling your money where to go
8. A family “financial constitution” – specifically states how finances will be managed in the household
9. Multiple savings accounts – allows you to separate and save for irregular expenses.  ING Direct is a great specific tool for this.
10. A net worth statement – updated at least once per six months, this is one way to keep financial score

Another great tool is the right professional for your needs – be it a financial planner, a realtor, insurance agent, accountant, or attorney.  Surround yourself with team players who are committed, just like your tools, to your financial well being.

By Joe Heidler, JV Heidler Roofing

Right now in our area there are huge problems with ice forming on the eaves of buildings.  I just heard that some of our streets in Lancaster have had their sidewalks closed due to “killsickles”.  These ice monstrosities are formed when the roof warms up from the sun or from heat loss inside the living space.  Then water runs down and cools at the overhangs, or eaves.  The water freezes and forms an ice dam.  This backs up water that may be running down the roof, thus providing potential water leakage and damage to the interior of the building.

We recommend on new installations that an ice and water guard membrane be installed to prevent this backed up water from entering the structure.

It can be very dangerous to remove these hanging ice sickles. They can be extremely heavy and falling from the height of a building can injure or even kill people below.   Some people use heat tapes to prevent the ice dams from forming.  IF it is possible to safely remove snow from the roof edge, be sure to remove it back about 3 feet.  This is very common in Northern areas of the country, but it is rarely an issue here in Lancaster and York.  There are special snow rakes that are used to clean snow from roofs in these Northern areas, but I have never seen one around here.

It is a good idea to prevent people from walking under these areas.  Use caution tape or warning flags to rope the area off.  Safety is our number one concern.  If in doubt, call an expert.  Please, whatever you do, be SAFE!

Read more at Joe’s  Lancaster PA Roofing blog