About Dufferin County, ON

All these homes were built in 2000 or later. Most are move in ready. This is the time to buy that vacation, winter or retirement home. To view these homes, and all other available homes, go to our web site at: http://www.casagranderealestateexpert.com

The city of Casa Grande, AZ, is located south of the Phoenix Metro area in a natural-scenic community, offering views of the popular Superstition Mountains to the northeast and the San Tan and Goldmine Mountains to the east. Enjoy rural charm without sacrificing the vibrant cultural life, shopping and economic opportunity of big-city living. This family-friendly community is home to several farms, and historical sites. Casa Grande is only a short drive to the Phoenix Performing Arts Center that offers the best in local and touring dance and theatre companies.

The city of Florence, AZ, is located southeast of the Phoenix Metro area in a natural-scenic community, offering views of the popular Superstition Mountains to the north and the San Tan and Goldmine Mountains to the west. Enjoy rural charm without sacrificing the vibrant cultural life, shopping and economic opportunity of big-city living. This family-friendly community is home to several farms, long a favorite place to visit and celebrate their seasonal harvest festivals. There are several performing arts centers in the area that offer the best in local and touring dance and theatre companies. The city is experiencing an exciting period of measured growth, with many new facilities in the works with the original Florence business district still on Main Street.

To view all available homes in Florenc Arizona, visit our web site at: http://www.florencerealestateexpert.com

Want to soak up some Christmas Spirit?

 Mansfield Presbyterian Church, located at 936572 Airport Road in Mansfield, is hosting a choir performance on Sunday December 18th, 2011 at 2:30 p.m.

Sit back with family and friends and enjoy this Christmas Cantata. Refreshments will be served after the performance. Freewill offerings will be appreciated.

Christmas Shopping season is fast approaching, the malls seem to be more crowded than normal, even on weekdays (and our neighbours to the south will be kicking off the season with Black Friday).

Here are some tips to help you stay safe and to prevent you becoming a victim of crime this Christmas season:

• If you use cash, obtain your cash from recognized financial institutions and avoid stand alone bank machines (which can be targets of various skimming devices). Avoid carrying large amounts of cash.
  
• Know how to recognize legal tender (Canadian and American bills have various counterfeiting prevention features).
• Keep your wallets and purses safely secured at all times.
• When using credit and debit cards, always protect you PIN and shield entry (from prying eyes and/or surveillance devices).
• Do not carry large amounts of gifts. Secure them in your vehicles trunk and place in your home as soon as possible. Keep them out of plain sight.
• Park your vehicle in a well lit area. Always lock your doors.
• Above all, be aware and trust your instincts. Report suspicious people, activity or behaviour to mall security, store owners or workers or the police.

In most cases, crime is preventable, be safe and have a Happy and Safe Christmas Shopping season.

Here are some tips on how you can choose to be a much more ECO-FRIENDLY Shopper while at the Grocery Store:

• Go Local and Organic - Buying local not only reduces the carbon footprint of your purchase (by reducing the travel and processing impact on our planet), but also helps people in our local communities. Look first for products with a "Canada Organic" logo, then "USDA" organic, indicating that the product contains at least 95% organic ingredients (or vice versa if you live in the U.S).
• Try Meatless Fridays and/or Mondays - it can take up to 17 lbs of vegetable protein to produce 1 lb of meat protein. Eating more vegetarian dishes would reduce the strain on our environment.
• Plan Ahead - before you shop, consider what you have. This will reduce both excessive shopping and could help to reduce waste. Studies have indicated that up to 25% of the fresh food we buy goes to waste before we can use it. If a food has been on the shelf or in the refrigerator for a while, use it soon.
• Be "FAIR" - Look for the "Fair Trade Certified" logo when buying items such as bananas, coffee, tea, sugar, chocolate or similar products grown abroad.
• Choose your fish carefully - Stay away from Chilean Sea Bass and other over-fished varieties, instead choosing sustainable fish.
• Bulk Foods - Bulk foods not only are free from packaging waste, they can often save you money. When buying nuts, grains, cereals, treats, etc, consider the bulk section or your bulk food store.
• Leave the bag - When buying loose produce, do not use the tear off plastic bags, and either put them into your cart or use re-usable cloth or mesh bags.

Check out this link for more tips on being: ECO-FRIENDLY in the kitchen

Here are some tips that might help you reduce the energy you consume (and save you some money) in the kitchen:

• Go Paperless - Some newer washable viscose cloths (including those made with sustainable Bamboo) can soak up many times more liquid than paper towels. Use cloth napkins at the dinner table rather than paper.
  
• Take the Temperature - of your refrigerator... 35-38 degrees F (2-3 degrees C) is the optimal temperature range to reduce spoilage and wasted energy. Your freezer section should be 0 degrees F (-18 degrees C). Use a thermometer to ensure your fridge and freezer sections are at optimal temperature.
  
• Let your Leftovers Cool Down - before you refrigerating or freezing. Thirty minutes at room temperature will help in reducing the load on your fridge/freezer (be careful not to let some perishable food stand at room temperature for more than two hours to reduce the risk of contamination)
• Be Dishwasher Wise - Run your dishwasher with full loads, using the light cycle and use non-toxic, biodegradable soaps. Try letting your dishes air dry rather than heat-dry.
  
• Nuke it - Microwaves can use up to 80% less heat than an oven. They are a "greener" way of warming leftovers and steaming vegetables. Try placing your dish on the outer edge of a rotating platter to warm your food even faster.