This holiday season has given us a chance to pause and reflect on the fragility of life, the importance of cherishing our family and friends, and of extending compassion and kindness to all with whom we connect daily. We wish each of you joy, peace and love in this warm, cozy sigh of a season.

May the new year bring prosperity and hope and may we each use our passions to make our neighborhoods, communities and world a healthier place.

rob, carri, lili and paddy

I am amazed by the multitude of extremely cool gingerbread houses that are being constructed.  Many people are going outside the box of just gingerbread and candy these days. The use of nuts, dried fruit, seeds and cookies is so creative.  Unfortunately, I don't have the time or patience, or frankly skill, to build one of these fabulous works of art. I guess I'll have to stick with the "kit house" series!

the stay at home spa

We are very grateful to be featured in this year's Fine Homebuilding Kitchen + Bath issue for our addition and remodel of a home outside of Baltimore.  This issue is still out on newsstands, please grab your copy!

Infographic source: HouseTrip – New York City

Source: eLocal.com

from eLocal.com

After a couple of decades of fine tuning, almost all conventional built-in dishwashers perform admirably in the cleaning department. The differentiating factors come down to questions such as: How quiet is the operation? What are the energy-saving options (such as shortened cycles, half-load options, condensation drying, and water-flow control)? Are the heating coils and controls concealed? Is the unit Energy Star-rated (which means it's 41 percent more energy efficient than the minimum federal standard)? more….