Loganville, Dacula and Bethlehem Real Estate - The Rains Team

Want to bring some joy to a child who would otherwise not get any Christmas presents this year? You can through the Samaritan’s Purse organization and the Operation Christmas Child project. Operation Christmas Child’s mission is to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to needy children around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

It’s simple to do, just get a standard size shoe box, choose whether you would like to buy gifts for a boy or a girl and then pick which age bracket: 2-4 years, 5-9 years or 10-14 years. (You can print out labels on the website that you’ll attach to the top of the box.) Purchase your gifts and then wrap your box–wrap the lid separately. You can include a personal note from yourself and your family if you would like.

Include $7 per box to help pay for shipping costs; simply fill out the donation form that’s on the website–it’s on the same page as the labels–and write a check. Put those items in an envelope and place them inside the box on top of the gifts.

There are several drop-off locations and next week, November 16-23, is the collection week. This is so easy to do and what a difference you could make in a child’s life–think of the smile you’re going to bring to their precious face when they see the goodies you’ve given them.

Be creative with your gifts inside the boxes…here’s some ideas to get you started:

TOYS small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, small Etch A Sketch®, toys that light up or make noise (with extra batteries), Slinky®, etc.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES pens, pencils and sharpener, crayons or markers, stamps and ink pad sets, writing pads or paper, solar calculators, coloring and picture books, etc.

HYGIENE ITEMS toothbrush, toothpaste, mild bar soap (in a plastic bag), comb, washcloth, etc.

OTHER Hard candy and lollipops (please double bag all candy), mints, gum, T-shirts, socks, ball caps; sunglasses, hair clips, toy jewelry, watches, flashlights (with extra batteries)

A PERSONAL NOTE In a separate envelope, you may enclose a note to the child and a photo of yourself or your family. (If you include your name and address, the child may write back.)

DO NOT INCLUDE: Used or damaged items; war-related items such as toy guns, knives or military figures; chocolate or food; out-of-date candy; liquids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakable items such as snowglobes or glass containers; aerosol cans

In case you missed the link to the Operation Christmas Child website at the top, here it is again:

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD DETAILS

My awesome team leader, Janice Baldwin, sent these life lessons to everyone this morning. It was written by Regina Brett, a columnist for The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio. In the e-mail it talked about how Regina had just turned 90 years old; I had never heard of this woman before so I did a little research. I found her website: ReginaBrett.com and as it turns out she just turned 50 in 2006…so the e-mail floating around is inaccurate as to her age, but still contains a wonderful amount of life lessons we can learn from.

According to her website, the following article is being turned into a book titled: “God Never Blinks: 50 Lessons for Life’s Little Detours” –it will be released April of 2010.

• Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
• It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
• Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
• If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
• Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.
• Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
• Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
• Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
• It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
• When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

• However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
• Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
• Believe in miracles.
• God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
• Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
• Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.
• Your children get only one childhood.
• All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
• Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
• If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
• Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
• The best is yet to come.
• No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
• Yield.
• Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.”

I think that Regina really knows what she’s talking about! All of these tips and lessons are great ways to live your life and reminders that we only get one shot at life here on Earth. Which one was most meaningful to you?

For me, as a Christian, my favorite one is “The best if yet to come!” This one means the most to me because while this life is great, I know that I have an even better one in store for me in the future–eternity in Heaven with my Savior and Lord! Life on Earth is just preparation for eternity spent with God.

In fact, I’m reading an awesome book on Heaven by Randy Alcorn simply titled “Heaven.” I am just beginning it but so far it’s been very good–I’m learning a lot and it’s one that I would recommend every Christian to read.

So, please tell me, which Life Lesson means the most to you?

P.S. In case you’re interested…all the photos were taken by me while on my study abroad trip to Australia…a truly beautiful place! I would highly recommend a trip there if you’ve never been!!

Photos ©2009 Anne Rains Photography, All Rights Reserved.

If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today!

Spring is the perfect time to clean out the garage, the attic and the closets (even under the kid’s beds) and have a garage sale! We’ve heard that listing agents are encouraging their sellers to have garage sales to help drive traffic and awareness! Better yet, organize a neighborhood-wide garage sale! Offer to help out your sellers with signs, balloons, post on your website, or make some lemonade! Here are a few tips to share.

PREPARATION

Preparing for a yard sale is hard work. Ideally, you should start working on your yard sale 3 weeks prior to the event. However, if you work hard, you can have it ready in 2 weeks. Well prepared yard sales can profit upwards of $800.00 or more.

Week 1: Spring Cleaning - choose one or two rooms a day and begin collecting items in the basement or garage.

Week 2 & 3: Organizing - sort, clean and price your items.

ADVERTISING

Place an ad in the local paper and any online garage sale sites. Craigslist, www.gsalr.com are some to consider. Large signs or banners placed at all the entrances to the neighborhood and directional signs throughout the neighborhood will bring in the customers and keep them shopping. Also balloons on mailboxes are always helpful to confirm you are open and not just cleaning your garage.

PRICING

Put a price tag on everything and ALWAYS be willing to negotiate.

Overpricing is the next hurdle…yard sales are for liquidation. Quality items should be priced less than half off the original price you paid. Overpricing can turn everyone away before they get to the garage.

DISPLAY/SETUP

What you have to sell and how much you have to sell are important factors as well. If you don’t have much to sell, then partnering with a neighbor is a good idea. Put everything in one driveway…you need “The Draw”. Walk the sale, re-organize items, always talk to the customers. Some people are too shy to ask for a price or to negotiate…being friendly can make a sale.

As the day progresses and tables get sparse. Consolidate items so that tables are always full.

THE DRAW

“The Draw” is very important. Although you should always advertise your sale in local papers and online, you still have to get customers to come to YOUR house.

Perception is everything. Bring some large items or “hooks” (furniture, play, exercise and lawn equipment, etc.) out onto the driveway. Your goal is to gain their interest. You can also put items out that you have no intention of selling, just to get customers in the garage. Yes, that’s right, you may have some items that you are on the fence about and you are not ready to part with at yard sale prices. Just don’t put a price on it, or, price it higher, you never know, it may sell.

Sell popcorn, lemonade, cookies, water…these are other ways to get people to your house.

(posted by Suzanne Geddes, Marketing/Graphic Designer for AnotherME)

I received these helpful tips in an e-mail and I thought my readers would find this useful as well. Who knew there were so many uses for a dryer sheet?! You’ll be suprised at the variety of things a little sheet of Bounce can be used for.

•  It will chase ants away when you lay a sheet near them.  It also repels mice. 

• To freshen the air in your car - Place a sheet of Bounce under the front seat.

•  Since Bounce is designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe your television screen with a used sheet of Bounce to keep dust  from resettling

• It takes the odor out of books and photo albums that don’t get opened too often.

• It repels mosquitoes. Tie a sheet of Bounce through a belt loop when outdoors during mosquito season.

• Eliminate static electricity from your television (or computer) screen.

• Spread sheets around foundation areas, or in trailers, or cars that are sitting and it keeps mice from entering your vehicle. 

• Dissolve soap scum from shower doors.  Clean with a sheet of Bounce.

• To freshen the air in your home - Place an individual sheet of Bounce in a drawer or hang in the closet.

• Wet a Bounce sheet, hose down your car, and wipe  lovebugs off easily with the wet Bounce.

• Prevent thread from tangling. Run a threaded needle through a sheet of Bounce before beginning to sew.

• Prevent musty suitcases. Place an individual sheet of Bounce inside empty luggage before storing.

• Clean baked-on foods from a cooking pan. Put a sheet in a pan, fill with water, let sit overnight, and sponge clean. The anti-static agent apparently weakens the bond between the food and the pan.

• Eliminate odors in wastebaskets. Place a sheet of Bounce at the bottom of the wastebasket

• Put Bounce sheet in vacuum cleaner.

• Deodorize shoes or sneakers. Place a sheet of Bounce in your shoes or sneakers overnight.

• Put a Bounce sheet in your sleeping bag and tent  before folding and storing them. It will keep them smelling fresh.

• Collect cat hair. Rubbing the area with a sheet of Bounce will magnetically attract all the lose hairs.

• Eliminate static electricity from Venetian blinds. Wipe the blinds with a sheet of Bounce to prevent dust from resettling.

• Wipe up sawdust from drilling or sand papering. A used sheet of Bounce will collect sawdust like a tack cloth.

• Eliminate odors in dirty laundry. Place an individual sheet of Bounce at the bottom of a laundry bag or hamper.

• Golfers put a Bounce sheet in their back pocket to keep the bees away. 

I must admit that I haven’t tried any of these out yet, so if you have I would love to hear your feedback as to whether or not it actually works! Just leave me a comment about your experience.

I hope this information has helped you! If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today!

Photo Credit: Mouse, Car, Cookies, Cat, Golf

The Georgia Renaissance Festival is here every weekend from now until June 7, 2009. If you have never been to this festival before it’s a ton of fun and has something for everyone to enjoy. Some of the shows include:

If you’re in the mood for a snack or even a meal, the Georgia Renaissance Festival has a variety of choices to choose from. Of course, you simply must have one of their Smoked Turkey Legs–it just wouldn’t be right if you didn’t! Other interesting items are: macaroni and cheese on a stick (I’d like to see how they do that!), Toad-in-a-Hole (what in the world is that?), a lot of fried foods from pickles to mushrooms, funnel cake (what festival would be complete without that?!), belgian waffles and so much more. Also, in case you’re looking for a little adult fun, they do serve beer, wine and margaritas!

Additional fun includes various games and rides and a market with over 150 different artisans selling their wares and doing demonstrations from weaving and glass blowing to leather crafting and sculpting. Hair braiding, jewelry making and perfume creating are some of the other demonstrations as well.

They are open every weekend from now until June 7 from 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Tickets at the door cost:

1. Adult: $19.95
2. Senior Citizens (60+): $17.95
3. Child (6-12 years old): $8.95
4. Children 5 and under are FREE

**If you order online, you save an additional dollar or two per person and you don’t have to wait in the ticket line at the gate.**

Location: 6905 Virlyn B Smith Rd, Fairburn, GA 30213

Website: Georgia Renaissance Festival

Special Themed Weekends:

THIS WEEKEND: May 2 & 3– Kids Free Weekend! (One FREE child admission per each full price paid Adult ticket–offer only valid at the gate)

May 9 & 10–Mother’s Day Weekend (The first 100 Moms through the gate receive flowers)

May 16 & 17–Scots & Kilts Weekend (Performances by Atholl Highlander Pipe and Drum Band, Sheep dog demonstrations and “Best Legs” contests)

May 23-25–Memorial Day Weekend (Open Saturday, Sunday and Memorial Day)

May 30 & 31–Pirates Weekend (Wear your best pirate costume–contests for adults and children!)

June 6 & 7–Last weekend until 2010!

Want to see more about what this fun festival is all about? Watch the video below!

I hope this information has helped you! If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today!

Photo Credit: 1st Photo, 2nd Photo, 3rd Photo, 4th Photo, 5th Photo

It seems like lately I’ve been making a variety of chicken casseroles, maybe I need to branch out more, but they’re just so easy and very cost effective. Because it’s just the two of us we always have leftovers, which although I’m not a huge fan of, they do make our grocery budget go farther.

This one is a Mexican Chicken Casserole by my favorite cook (you already know I’m going to say Paula Deen don’t you?!). Well this one is cheesy, creamy, delicious and really quick to make–from assembly to oven to table is only about 40 minutes!

Ingredients:

• 1 10.75 oz. can cream of chicken soup
• 1 10.75 oz. can Cheddar cheese soup
• 1 10.75 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 10 oz. can Ro-Tel tomatoes
• 1 whole chicken, cooked, boned and chopped or 4 Cups leftover cooked chicken
• 1 11.5 oz. package flour tortillas
• 2 Cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, stir together the three kinds of soup and the tomatoes. Stir in the chicken.
2. In a greased 13×9 inch pan, layer the tortillas and chicken mixture, beginning and endgin with tortillas.
3. Sprinkle cheese over the casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

This delicious dish serves 8 people. I served it with a hot spinach and artichoke dip that complimented it well. Hope you enjoy this! A great one to make for the family!

Thank You for Reading!

I hope this information has helped you! If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today! 

On Thursday night, over 6,000 churches hosted Dave Ramsey’s Town Hall for Hope live simulcast and over 1 million Americans heard what he had to say. Not familiar with Dave? He’s a financial expert and a Christian, which I love because what he teaches about your finances are biblically based.

He said a lot of great things last week and he really conveyed that the economy is not as bad as what the media is trying to portray. One of the best quotes of the night was: “Credit cards are snakes. If you play with snakes, you’re going to get bit.” Dave doesn’t even own a credit card because he doesn’t feel that the credit card companies play fair. He only advises using them if you can pay them in full each month! Now, I know that for a lot of Americans credit cards are a way of life, but can you imagine if you never used a credit card again how much money you would save?! Not only would you be keeping all that interest that you would accrue to yourself, but statistics also show that Americans who pay with credit cards typically spend 26% more than Americans who don’t use them. Ponder that for a little bit.

Another important thing he said was that “Failure will run you into excellence. Without fear of failure you cannot be your best.” I think this is also great; we shouldn’t let our fear of failure paralyze us from doing anything but instead use that fear to do our best. And if we should fail that will only make us want to pick up the pieces and try again. A lot of the wealthiest people have been millionaires only to become bankrupt and then they go out and work harder and accomplish even greater wealth than before.

Dave claimed we need to learn two things: 1. SAY NO! and 2. Take personal responsibility that you caused this mess. He says we need to learn how to say no again–we live in a society that says yes to everything and no to nothing, but that must change if we’re going to get in control of our finances. We need to learn to say “yes that was my fault” instead of whining about it.

I’m also very happy to inform you that Dave believes the housing industry is going to lead us out of this recession. He stated that because of interest rates being the lowest they have been in years, it’s a wonderful time to buy a home. If you have extra money he also recommends investing in property as well. And he wants everyone to quit believing the media when they talk about foreclosures running rampant in this nation; did you know that 60% of the foreclosures come from only 5 of our states. And that 50% of foreclosures are in 35 counties. This shows us that foreclosures are highly localized. So, if you can afford it, this is definitely the year to buy a home!

And finally, here’s a three step action plan that we should follow:

1. Get up and TAKE ACTION! Don’t just sit on your couch watching Oprah re-runs wishing you made more money or the country wasn’t in this recession (This is not even the worst recession we’ve ever had, did you know that?) Be proactive and think creatively on ways to earn more money.

2. Don’t participate in LOSER TALK! Don’t believe everything you hear on the media and if the news is getting you down, just don’t listen to it. Think positively and when others are talking negatively walk away or find something good to say.

3. We need to learn to give again. Americans need to learn how to be generous again with both their time and money. Money really tight? Don’t worry, find ways to give back to your community–maybe help serve in a soup kitchen or volunteer to read to elderly people in a retirement home. Doing things to help others will help get your mind off your problems, put things into perspective (things could be worse) and will be a blessing to you.

Lastly, his parting words were: HOPE comes from you, me, and God–NOT Washington!!

If you would like more information, Dave Ramsey has a whole website devoted to Town Hall for Hope. Also, he’s a wonderful financial advisor and has written a great book: Total Money Makeover that I would highly recommend. He teaches people how to get out of debt and to live a debt-free lifestyle. His motto is “Live like no one else, so one day you can LIVE like no one else.”

Town Hall for Hope Website

Dave Ramsey’s Website

I hope this information has helped you! If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today!

My husband gave me the sweetest First Anniversary gift: tickets to see the movie Gone With the Wind at the Fox Theatre and dinner out! As most of you know, each anniversary has a gift that goes with it: the traditional gift is one of paper (the modern version is a clock…I’m not a huge fan of clocks for some reason so I’m glad he didn’t go with this!). So a gift of tickets to see my all-time favorite movie was just perfect!

We began the night at the Old Spaghetti Factory, which was absolutely delicious! In case you haven’t been there before, the food is great and very reasonably priced. I had the Crab Ravioli which was covered in a pesto alfredo sauce and tasted wonderful. The meal is also served with hot, fresh bread; a salad–they have the best dressing there: Pesto Ranch (can you tell I like pesto?!) and also for dessert: Spumoni, which is an Italian ice cream of three flavors: chocolate, cherry and pistachio–this eclectic combo tastes great together!

One of the reasons I love eating at this restaurant is looking at the many beautiful chandaliers they have hanging everywhere. The restaurant is full of various types of big, bold and beautiful lights such as the one above. Also, the furniture is all very antique-Victorian looking and is very neat.

If you are in the Atlanta area and would like a fun restaurant to eat at with great food, try this one out! It’s located at: 249 Ponce de Leon Avenue NE, Atlanta. Or you may be lucky enough to have one located near you…they have over 37 locations in 14 different states.

Next we headed over to the fabulous Fox Theatre so we could watch our movie! The Fox is an Atlanta tradition and first opened in the 1930s after being headquarters for the Shriners organization in the 1920s. This beautifully ornate building survived so much and “the Fox stands today as a fiercely protected landmark and a nationally acclaimed theater; having survived depression, mortgage foreclosure, bankruptcy, competition, television, real estate development, and above all, age.”–FoxTheatre.org

Watching this classic movie on the big screen at this amazing venue was a wonderful night out for sure! I thoroughly enjoyed the night and encourage you to look into having a night at the Fox sometime yourself. They do everything from concerts and musicals to plays and ballets–there is something for everyone.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang will be there next, but what I’m most looking forward to is seeing the Radio City Rockettes perform their Christmas show in November!

For tickets or more information visit their website: The Fox Theatre. They are located at: 660 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta.

If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today!

Everyone loves watching a sporting event, right? Well, come on out and support your local high school basketball games…only 1 more game left until the tournaments start. Here’s the line-up for the high schools in both the Walton and Barrow counties…

Photo by: laffy4k

WALTON COUNTY:

Loganville High School:

*Varsity Girls:

• Next game: Today, February 3, 2009 6:00 p.m.
• Playing away at Heritage High School
• Location: 2400 Granade Road SW, Conyers, GA 30094
• Current statistics: won 17 games out of 24

*Varsity Boys:

• Next game: Today, February 3, 2009 7:30 p.m.
• Playing away at Heritage High School
• Current statistics: won 14 games out of 24

*JV Girls:

• Next game: Today, February 3, 2009 4:30 p.m.
• Playing away at Heritage High School

*JV Boys:

• Next game: Saturday, February 7, 2009 Noon
• Playing away at North Oconee High School
• Location: 1081 Rocky Branch Road, Bogart, GA 30622

Monroe Area High School:

*Varsity Boys:

• Next game: Today, February 3, 2009 6:00 p.m.
• Playing at home against Salem High School
• Location: 300 Double Springs Church Road, Monroe, GA 30656

Photo by: Doug L

BARROW COUNTY:

Apalachee High School:

*Varsity Girls and Boys:

• Next game: Today, February 3, 2009 6:00 p.m.
• Playing at home against Madison County High School
• Location: 940 Haymon Morris Road, Winder, GA 30680

*JV Boys:

• Next game: Today, February 3, 2009 4:15 p.m.
• Playing at home against Madison County High School

Winder-Barrow High School:

*Varsity Girls and Boys:

• Next game: Today, February 3, 2009 6 p.m.
• Tonight is SENIOR NIGHT!
• Playing at home against Clarke Central High School
• Location: 272 North Fifth Avenue, Winder, GA 30680

*JV Girls:

• Next game: Today, February 3, 2009 4:15 p.m.
• Playing at home against Clarke Central High School

Thanks for Reading!

If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today!

Recently a good friend of mine invited me to go to lunch with her at the cute little restaurant, Blessings Cottage, in the closeby town of Dacula, Georgia. I hadn’t had the pleasure of eating there yet, so of course I said yes…and it was absolutely wonderful! Just wait until you hear all about this great little place…

Down the hallway a little ways is a room where they take your order and there’s also a display counter with a variety of home-made fudge! The menu consists of a variety of salads and sandwiches, including ham and cheese, tuna salad, BLT and a club. However, it’s known for it’s chicken salad and Monte Cristo sandwiches. I had the Monte Cristo and it was one of the best I’ve ever had. In case you aren’t familiar with this sandwich, it’s made with melted Provolone cheese, turkey and ham on toasted sourdough bread and sprinkled with powdered sugar…the best part is the creamy raspberry sauce that comes along side the sandwich for dipping. I’m craving another one just writing this!

Included with your sandwich is your choice of either chips, home-made potato salad or apple slices. Blessings Cottage is also open for breakfast, where they offer muffins, cinnamon rolls and croissants. Additionally, there are between eight and ten different kinds of home-made fudge, which they sell for $10.99 a pound. Everything is very reasonably priced, with sandwiches and salads ranging between $5.99 to $6.79.

After placing your order and paying for your meal, you go find a seat in the parlor across from the hall. The room which has a cozy little fireplace in it, is painted with yellow and white stripes and tea cups decorate the walls. Also, no need to get a number or tell the staff your name, when your food is ready they bring it out to you on pretty glass plates.

This is definitely a place that I want to go back to time and time again! I urge you to try it out for yourself if you’re ever in the Dacula area. (Although it looks like a prissy tea-room type place, I did see a couple of men there while I was eating as well…men and children as well are welcome.)

It’s located at 2495 Fence Road, Dacula, Georgia

Blessings Cottage is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.–but is closed Sundays and Mondays.

Thanks For Reading!

If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today!