Are you making plans to host the Super Bowl party at your home this year?  Here are a few tips we have found that will make the party one to never forget.

1.) Make your own coasters out of Astro Turf.  You can buy the turf for about $1.00 a square foot at your local hardware store.

2.) Fill cups with potted wheatgrass.  You can pick this up at a local flower shop or nursery.  Top the grass off with pennants and mini footballs.

3.) Design a table runner to look like a football field.  You can use Con-Tact Chalkboard Contact Paper and draw yard lines with chalk.  Leave the chalk out and let the guest draw all over it.

4.)  Have a Super Bowl Party Game.  Give prizes to who can guess the final score, what was the first commercial, who scored first, etc.

Sit back, relax and enjoy the game!  If you are currently in a Landmark Home with a theatre/game room you will be able to relax in comfort!  If not, stop by one of our model homes in Carrington Lakes, Valencia, The Ranches at Olde Tuscany or Belleau Wood and talk to one of our New Home Consultants to find out how you can enjoy the game next year in a Landmark Home!

It is that time!  Everyone is talking about what their goals are for the New Year.

Stop by one of our Model Homes in Carrington Lakes, Belleau Wood, Valencia or The Ranches.  One of our New Home Consultants are ready to help you get in your dream home this year. Not only can you be in that new home, but you will want to be a part of some of the lowest interest rates in history.  If you wait too long you will miss  your chance!

Our Model Homes are open, Thursday-Monday from 1-6 or on Saturday from 10-6.  We would love to help you complete one of those goals for 2014!

Suzzanne Wolfe is another one of our qualified New Home Consultants.  She works in our Valencia Community in the Edmond, North Oklahoma City area but can help you anywhere in the Metro.  Here are a few words from Suzzanne:

I have been in the Home Design Industry in different facets for over 15 years.  I began my career in landscape design.  I worked with home owners as well as landscapers designing outdoor living spaces. I was also a contributing writer for a local monthly magazine giving seasonal planting advice.  My career then moved to interior design and working for a local furniture company.  I loved helping customers as well as builders make furniture selections and custom designing furniture and drapes.  It was during this time that I recognized my interest for New Home Construction.  Landmark Fine Homes was the perfect fit!

Since coming to Landmark I have received extensive training in Energy Efficiency as well as Building Science.  I am very passionate about helping people design their home from the ground up.

Call me today and we can make your Dream of a New Home a Reality!

Mark Osterman is one of our qualified New Home Consultants.  Mark works in the Edmond, North Oklahoma City area but can help you anywhere in the Metro.  Hear a few words from Mark:

I am here to help answer all of your questions about buying or building a New Home.  I have over 6 1/2 years with Landmark Fine Homes, 3 years as a Mortgage Lender and 9 years selling to builders in the New Residential Paint Industry.

At Landmark we make it a priority to educate ourselves in the latest building practices.  I have attended The Green Building Summit, Energy Efficiency continuing Education Conferences as well as in house training from our suppliers and trades about the products we put into our homes.  Having this education has made me knowledgeable in the newest practices and procedures for obtaining maximum energy efficiency and comfort.  Energy Efficiency means not only a more comfortable home but more affordable energy bills.  No one wants to spend all our money paying utilities!

Winning America's Best Builder makes Landmark Fine Homes the easiest choice for buying or building a new home.  Call me to get all your questions answered and feel comfortable about building your dream home!

You should finally be safe to plant your summer garden now in Oklahoma.  With the extended cold temperatures, it has taken a little longer to get plants in the ground than in years past.

All of our homes in Belleau Wood, Carrington Lakes, Valencia and the Ranches have perfect backyards to plant a garden in.  Here are some things to consider:

•  Do you have enough sun exposure? Vegetables love the sun. They need at least 6 hours of full sun every day, and preferably 8.
•  Know your soil. Most soil can be enriched with compost and be fine for planting, but some soil needs more help. Vegetables must have good, loamy, well-drained soil. Check with your local nursery or local cooperative extension office about free soil test kits so that you can assess your soil type.
•  Placement is everything. Avoid planting too near a tree, which will steal nutrients and shade the garden. In addition, a garden too close to the house will help to discourage animals from nibbling away your potential harvest.
•  Decide between tilling and a raised bed.  If you have poor soil or a bad back, a raised bed built with non pressure-treated wood offers many benefits.
•  Vegetables need lots of water, at least 1 inch of water a week.
•  You'll need some basic planting tools.  These are the essentials: spade, garden fork, soaking hose, hoe, hand weeder, and wheelbarrow (or bucket) for moving around mulch or soil. It's worth paying a bit extra for quality tools.
•  Study those seed catalogs  and order early.

HAPPY PLANTING!!

When the thermostat outside is over 90 degrees, most garden plants, lawns, flowers, and veggies can tend to shut down. What is a homeowner to do? Here are some tips we have found that help make our yards in Carrington Lakes, Valencia, The Ranches, and Belleau Wood look their best!

• Choose Plants Wisely:  Some plants are more heat tolerant than others!
• Water: Resist the urge to over water or soak your plants until they're soggy.  You should only give your lawn and garden a inch at a time.  If it is hot and dry water more often but do not increase the amount.
• Garden Pests- Spider mites are a problem in hot weather.  Make sure you keep the leaves of your plants wet to discourage them!
• Weeds- No matter how hot is gets, weeds are always a problem!  Sorry, you will need to keep weeding your flower beds and lawn.
• Containers- Remember to keep watering them!  You can always move them to shadier locations as the temperature rises.
• Mulch- Add more mulch if needed.  It is a great product to keep the soil cooler and helps to hold the moisture. Choose well composted mulches in hot weather rather than fresh manure or grass clippings.

After you have worked in the yard don't forget to take care of yourself!  Find a swimming pool and relax.  I can tell you our pools at Valencia and Carrington Lakes continue to be a popular place no matter how hot it gets!