Tag: lake living

Never Been to a Lighted Boat Parade? Here’s Your Chance!

Posted on Glenn S. Phillips

Are you looking for something amazingly fun to do on June 20, 2015? Look no further; you can add the Summer Lights on Logan Martin Lake Boat Parade to your calendar. This first ever Summer Lights Parade will begin at the Woods Surfside Marina at 8:00PM and then finish at the Pell City Lakeside Park. Judging will be located by the Coosa Queen Riverboat.

There are many companies and other venues that are participating; here is a short list of many of those involved:

  • 94.9 The River
  • Coosa Queen Riverboat
  • Woods Surfside Marina
  • Cropwell KO’s Paint and Body Shop
  • Extreme Printing and Signs
  • Realty Executives: Nancy Locklar
  • 9 The River

The entry fees are $10, which is meant to be as a donation. All of the proceeds will go to the Pell City Police Foundation.  There will be a contest of the best-decorated boat, as well as a dock contest.

This is considered to be the first of an annual event that will provide fun for all ages. Make sure to attend this great event this weekend!

 

 

Forget the Fancy Bass Boats, Get a Pontoon Boat!

Posted on Glenn S. Phillips

You will never find a better boat to relax on. If you combine the floor plan and the amazingly luxurious seating, it is almost like having a living room on the water. A pontoon that measures 25 feet is able to carry 15 people, and at times even more very comfortably.

The same size of other boats of different styles does not include the same amount of space for the passengers. You would have to squeeze by each other when trying to move. It is more like riding in a car. With pontoon boats, you have floor space to walk, barbeque, and host parties.

If you are out for some sun, you can leave the top off, or if you are one that does not like to be in direct sunlight, leave the top on. The boat is extremely versatile when having fun out on the lake.

There are numerous models that include great features like a galley, live well, recliners, coolers, and a table to eat at or play cards on. They also include a ladder from the water to the floor. This way you can dive into the water and climb back up when it is time to rest.

Newer models also include stereo systems that offer external audio jacks, which allow the hook up of an mp3 player or iPod. Some even have USB ports.

There is a lot of space that will enable you to store water toys and other personal items. You can even purchase a camping enclosure to allow you to spend the night out on the water. There is even models that offer portable toilet with a privacy wall. Here are events that you can host on a pontoon boat:

With a pontoon boat, the options are endless. Imagine being able to spend an entire day that wraps up swimming, picnics, barbeque, music, and more all in one outing. The fun is overwhelming and the memories will last a lifetime.

Measurements Versus Passengers

If you are unsure of what size pontoon boat you will need, here is a guide to help you. Remember to include the typical people you take on your outings, for example; your kids. Then make sure there is extra room for other family members or friends.

  • 2-6 People: 18-20 Feet
  • 6-10 People: 22-24 Feet
  • 10 or more People: 24 Feet or Larger

Activities

Here is a list of activities you can plan for you outings. They will depend on what type of outing or event you will be hosting and how many people will be passengers on the boat.

  • Swimming
  • Fishing
  • Cards
  • Barbeques
  • Cocktails
  • Skiing
  • Tubing
  • Camping

No matter how many people you have with you, you will be sure to have fun. Ensure that you purchase a pontoon boat that will accommodate your entire family, plus a few more to make sure you can hold small get-togethers whenever you like.

 

Why It’s Great Living on a Lake With Boating Restrictions

Posted on Glenn S. Phillips

Although there are many people who enjoy the active lake scene, there are others who enjoy a lake that is peaceful. There are benefits to living on a lake with boating restrictions.

You definitely should not let boating restrictions make you turn away from a beautiful home on a relaxing lake.

Lower Noise Levels

Different lakes have different restrictions. Just because the lake has a restriction, does not mean that boats are not allowed to be on the lake. It may mean that the motor cannot go over a certain size.

Restrictions help keep the noise to a minimum. It will help to not disturb those who live on the lake or those who are fishing at the banks.

Safer Conditions

There are many accidents that happen due to boating. Swimming in the same waters where boats are zooming by can prove to be a dangerous situation.

Every year there are different accidents that cause injuries or worse. Living on a lake that has restrictions will keep swimmers and children safe from bad accidents from those who speed around the lake.

For those lakes that do not restrict to the point of boats not being allowed on the lake, they do have restrictions on other aspects to include safety. For example, some lakes have a restriction on how fast a boat is able to go. Others have extra water patrols, and some even have lighting requirements to ensure the boat is lit properly for visibility.

No Wake Zone

This zone is put into place in areas like docks, marinas, bridges, and residential areas. The zone keeps the area safe for everyone.

These zones are enforced to protect people and property. They help prevent flooding from high waves, help with shoreline erosion, and prevent boat and dock damage.

No Environmental Damages

There are lakes that have strict regulations about pollution and sanitation. This is to help prevent damage to the local environment. Some lakes have restrictions on the type of engine due to exhaust fumes and oil leakage.

Others have restrictions on the way you dispose of waste, so the water is protected. There can also be restrictions for the way you launch your boat to prevent shoreline erosion.

Canoeing and Kayaking

If you enjoy paddling then a restrictive lake is ideal for you. You will be able to enjoy calm waters without the worry of boats and their associated wakes. Instead of being turned off by lake restrictions, you should be aware of the large benefits that restrictions have to offer. Typically restrictions do not seriously impact the way the water is used, they just help protect the community and the environment.

Restrictions keep you and your property safe and should not deter you from purchasing your dream lake home!

7 Reasons People Love Lake Living

Posted on Glenn S. Phillips

There are two kinds of people: one that wants to live on a lake and the second is those who do. If you are wondering why lake living is so wonderful, then keep on reading. By the end of this list, you’ll wish your home was located next to a lake too.

1. Lake Fun

You will never run out of things to do! Lake living has its perks, and water activities are definitely on the top of the list. The lake will provide you with an avenue to have fun or to entertain the best events throughout the year. Here are just some of the activities you can do when owning a lake property:

  • Swimming
  • Kayaking
  • Sailing
  • Fishing
  • Boating

2. Relaxation

There are studies that support the claim that water provides relaxation. Of course, it is quite obvious that it does. Remember those days when you visited the lake, all those comforting feelings and how you felt so happy?

The lake can provide this on a daily basis when you actually live on the lake. After a long day’s work, coming home to see the peaceful and serene visuals the lake offers instantly relaxes the homeowner. Imagine sitting on the patio and just soaking in the sun peering at peacefulness.

3. Privacy

Homes that are located on lots by the lake are typically more isolated from the public. If you are further from or have greenery blocking your neighbors; this means that you have more privacy.

You also have matured trees and nature surrounding your home that acts as a natural privacy “fence” that offers shielding from roads, neighbors, and people passing by.

4. Traffic

Traffic can be annoying, especially when you live on a busy road or near a highway.

The traffic noises are intrusive and if you have animals or children, it can be quite dangerous. Say goodbye to all those semi-trucks, construction vehicles, and public buses.

5. Wildlife

All life needs water to sustain themselves. You live on a lake, so all of those beautiful and majestic animals share in your home.

You will see geese, ducks, deer, and so many other creatures of the wild.

6. Entertaining

You can host cookouts, birthday parties, annual summer parties, and so much more at your lake house.

You can even throw a bonfire party when the seasons begin to change that involves an overnight get-together where your guests can swim, fish, and roast marshmallows.

7. Community

In this area, people tend to build very strong bonds with each other. You have a common bond: the love for the outdoors. It is extremely easy to get to know your neighbors when you spend time on your dock. You will pass by each other on your boats or go paddleboarding together. It is not like a typical neighborhood where you will just wave to each other whenever you get your mail.

Living on the lake is an amazing lifestyle. It is not just a home location. You will love your community and everything a lake has to offer. Choosing to live on a lake is a choice that is easy to make, and there are lakes to fit every desired lifestyle. If you think living on a lake may be the right choice for you, take a look at our homes for sale across the nation.

How to Accent Lake Views Using Indoor Design

Posted on Glenn S. Phillips

If you own a home with a beautiful view of the lake, then decorating your home to match the area is a great way to add to the ambiance. There are different themes you can use to offer a beautiful scene for your lakeside home.

These room themes can help accent your lake views using indoor design!

With each theme you choose, there are certain items that can be purchased.

  • Wall Décor
  • Trinkets
  • Throw Pillows
  • Quilt
  • Rugs
  • Picture Frames
  • Furniture Color

Fishing Theme

If you are an avid fisher, then this theme is perfect. From fishing theme throws and pillows, to a large stuffed bass on the wall, you can add to the view of your lake. A great idea to add to this theme is to find old fishing poles onto the wall for an added sense of being on the water.

Another wonderful idea is to use canoe paddles for wall decoration. To add to the warmth of this theme, use a quilt to put over the back of your sofa and other fishing related items.

  • Old Fishing Poles
  • Fish Netting
  • Stuffed Fish on Plaque
  • Paddles
  • Painting of Fishing Boats
  • Anchors

Underwater Theme

The underwater theme is a simple theme that will add to the view of your lake. Keep the theme to any aspect of being under the water like fish and underwater plants. Although this theme incorporates parts of the other themes, the main aspect of this theme is shades of blue and sparkling pieces.

  • Blue Throws
  • Blue Pillows
  • Water Scene Painting
  • Trinkets of Fish or Water Animals

Sea Side Theme

If you love the sun and the beach, then decorating your home with a seaside theme would be great to add to the view of the lake. There is decor you can purchase to add to it like visions of dolphins, crabs, and more.

This includes orange colored items, as well as yellow, blue, and other colors that offer a sense of being on the beach. It will allow you to feel refreshed and relaxed, all while looking through your window and the open water. There are different ideas that will help you add to this theme.

  • Paintings of the Beach
  • Decorative Bottle of Sand
  • Trinket of Children Building a Sand Castle
  • Star Fish Wall Decor
  • Fish Netting
  • Coral
  • Sea Horses

At times finding water related items can be difficult. One great way to add to the theme you choose is to visit a fabric store. They have a lot of different patterns that will match your theme. You are able to hand make pillows and cushion covers to ensure that your furniture matches the theme.

The one aspect to remember when redecorating is that if the item does not have a specific theme, at least make sure it is of the same color as the rest of the furniture or décor.

Small do-it-yourself projects can be fun and offer pieces to display. Adding to the view of your lake will help you take advantage of the great view that you have at your disposal. It will also give your friends and family a comfortable and relaxing area to bond and spend time with one another!

Great Closing Gifts for Closing on a Lake Home

Posted on Glenn S. Phillips

The previous owner can thank the new owner by providing him with a closing gift as a sign of respect for the transaction done. In this article we will provide some great examples for closing gifts for closing on a lake home.

Spiritual gifts

Give a book that is all about love, joy, happiness, and belief as a gift to the new owner to congratulate them on a new start in an interesting way.

Dog and cat gifts

Families love their four legged animals and a gift for them would be appreciated deeply from all family members, in which the dog is included as well. You can buy dog and cat gift stacks with high quality products, cookies, doughnuts, and everything that pets will love.

Respecting new owner’s dog means you respect them as well. That is why this closing gift is highly recommended.

Patriotic gift

Every American homeowner should have an American Flag in their home. That makes it a perfect closing and housewarming gift. Make sure the quality of the flag is high.

This gift is wonderful because everyone seldom thinks about buying it. The price is not high either; less than $50.

House portrait

If you really want to impress your client with a custom and great closing gift, provide them with a painting of the house where they are moving in.

Sign your name in the portrait and now it becomes a marketing piece. It is really impressive and amazes the clients every time. There are some websites where you can buy these portraits such as “CuteHousePortraits.Com”.

Night out

Rather than providing a materialistic gift, why not go out for a dinner and enjoy the night?

Make all the reservations for your dinner. Arrange limousine to pick you and your client up. Lastly, ask the restaurant staff to send a thank you letter to the client in your name. It would be truly memorable.

New experience

Similar to the last one, this is not materialistic but an activity. What if your client has everything and you do not know what to give to them?

How about for a new experience for which they will talk about years after? Choose a guided fishing trip on the lake or a sunset cruise on a sailboat.

Not only will it be an enjoyable outing, it will also help the homeowner to learn more about the lake that they will be living on!

Closing gifts are like the concluding remarks of an essay. If done properly and effectively, you will impress your audience, who in this case would be the client. It is the last thing they will see or hear from you so put some effort into it and you are almost guaranteed future referrals.

Benefits of a Mudroom in a Lake Home

Posted on Glenn S. Phillips

When you are planning to construct a lake home or renovate it, consider adding a mudroom into it. Mudroom is usually placed in the garage, back door, or external location to the house.

This room is used as an area where boots, umbrellas, outdoor toys, and many more things are stored. It is recommended that mudroom is made of wood or ceramic tile flooring for easy clean up.

When living on a lake, mudroom becomes especially necessary and useful room. There are several reasons pertaining to implementing a mudroom in your lake house. We will discuss some of them below.

Keep your house clean

The original purpose of the mudroom when it was initially started was to keep the house clean. Today, this statement still holds true, especially for families with children. The name of the room, mudroom, implies a place to take all dirty and wet items such as dirty boots or shoes, sports equipment, backpacks,  wet towels, etc.

Living  and playing on the lake will most likely mean you will return to the house wet or even muddy. Thus, all the dirt and mess goes in just one room, rather than the whole house. That makes it very easy to clean.

Store rarely used items

We all have those items that we almost never use but still occasionally come in handy. A mudroom eliminates this problem; it can be used as a storage room for these items as well to save the space from the other rooms.

For lake houses, this is an especially useful benefit. There are lots of equipment such as swim suits, hiking gears, rowing paddles, among other things that need to be stored somewhere. This is particularly true if you do not have a boat house.

Organize

This is especially helpful when season changes are taking place, and in the lake, these changes are greater. During these periods, there will be lake related material that you may not use for several months.

Winter season means we need gloves, hats, and coats whereas summer means shorts and flip-flops. Why let these clothes and accessories take all your space in the wardrobe when you can relocate all unnecessary clothing for the current season in the mudroom?

A mud room can be a great addition to any room, but they especially add value to homes by the lake!

How to Grow an Herb Garden in Your Kitchen

Posted on Glenn S. Phillips

There are many reasons why people chose to grow kitchen herb garden. They produce organic and healthy harvests and are cheap as well. They are easy to grow and all they need is sunlight and warmth. In case your kitchen lacks direct sunlight, you might place your herb in other rooms as well. Now, we’re going to give you a brief explanation on how to start your own kitchen herb garden.

The first step of growing kitchen herbs is deciding what plants we want to grow. The answer is simple; start with whatever you prefer to eat. Search on internet to find out what seeds or seedlings produce your favorite dish, and buy them at your local gardener.

The second step is to choose whether you need seeds or seedlings. You can buy seed packets, or buy herb seedling from local shops. If your choice is seedlings, make sure that the plant is not rootbound by checking the plant’s bottom.

Third step is to choose the seeds/seedlings that you want to buy. The most used seeds are Basil, Chives, Cilantro, Mint, Oregano, Parsley, etc. Ask your local gardener or look up online which one would be a better choice to produce the harvests you desire.

What you’ll need:

Soil: Mix soil, moss, and perlite to produce a high quality soil for your herb garden. You can also buy this mixed soil in most garden stores for a reasonable price.

Containers: You will need lots of containers to put your herbs in. Look in your house if you have some unused containers. If not, check the garden stores, they will definitely have them. When you find them, create drainage holes in its sides before planting seeds/seedling.

Sunlight: The most important factor in growing herb garden is providing enough sunlight for them to be able to grow. They must be exposed to sun between four to six hours every day. Less light will most likely prevent growth.

Now that you have everything that you need, let’s get started.

  • Place seeds in water for about two to four hours before planting them in soil. This will fill them with water they will struggle to find when they initially get planted.
  • Fill all containers with soil up to one inch below the rim. Plant seeds approximately one fourth of inch below the top of the soil. Putting them lower will most likely prevent them from ever reaching the surface whereas putting them higher will most likely decrease the amount of nutrients they can take.
  • Place the container in a place out of direct sun light until it starts to grow and water it often. Note however, that different plants require different amounts of water per day.
  • When you see the herb growing out, move the container to an area with sunlight exposure between four to six hours a day. Continue to water them accordingly.
  • Large numbers of seeds growing in one container is not a good thing; it is actually dangerous for them. They will all feed from the same soil and will most likely lack nutrition. Thus, if several seeds grow, remove a few of them to allow the other seeds to grow. Be careful while you are removing the seeds, you might accidentally damage other seeds as well.
  • If planting seedlings, bury the roots in the soil and put it immediately in the sunny area.
  • When herbs are grown, harvest them. Leave the sprigs of every herb so they will grow back again so you will have herbs in the future as well.

By following these steps, you will create a kitchen herb garden and start growing your own healthy food.

What Type of Boat Fits Your Lifestyle?

Posted on Glenn S. Phillips

Picking out a boat does not have to be a difficult process, you just need to know what you plan on using it for.

A boat will give your family many fun times and great memories on the lake. However, in order to do this, you have to choose what type of boat best fits your needs.

Pontoon Boats

A pontoon boat is considered to be flotation device that can hold a large load. It includes a flat surface unlike other boats and relies on pontoons to float. This boat is almost like a boat and raft hybrid.

Many people treat this as a floating patio due to the flat surface and the overhead roof. They barbeque and enjoy the day in the water.

Pontoons are great for families in all age ranges and make for a relaxing day out on the lake!

Bass Boats

Bass boats are a great way to go fishing in style. They are smaller than a pontoon boat and are designed for fishing and built for speed.

These typically only seat 2-3 people so you will have to plan your outings with just a couple of friends or maybe you and your two kids. Generally these boats are purchased for fresh water lakes and features swivel chairs, storage bins, and livewells for your catch.

You can store life preservers inside the boat, as well as fishing tackle and more. This is great (and obvious) choice if fishing is your priority.

Wake Boats

This specific boat is designed to offer a large shaped wake for wakeboarders to jump and launch from. The wakeboard is a V-drive boat which means that they are an inboard boat, which includes a rear-facing engine.

This type of engine is used in order to keep the weight placed towards the back of the boat. Another feature of this boat that is standard is a wakeboard tower. The tower is typically used to elevate the pulling position of ropes that allow the rider to launch and stay in the air much longer.

These boats are perfect for those who love to ski, wakeboard, or even wakesurf!

Canoe

This boat is perfect for the minimalist. It is a lightweight narrow designed boat that seats 1-3 people. There are no motors here; canoes are propelled manually by the occupants using paddles.

They are used for many purposes that include racing, touring, camping, and whitewater canoeing. They are made of different woods and can vary in size depending on your needs.

Choosing a boat is all about determining what activities you plan to do on the lake. If you only plan to fish, then having a bass boat may be a great idea. However, if you plan on visiting with family, fishing, and swimming, then the pontoon boat may be the way to go.

No matter which boat you decide on, do your research before you buy. Then, and this is most important, be safe and have fun on the lake!