Blogs

It seems like just a couple weeks ago I had snow filling my Broomfield home's backyard.  Wait, we all did!  Where did spring go?  All of a sudden, I'm using my AC in my car EVERYDAY.  I am glad I had my mechanic checked it the last time I had my car in for service.

The heat of this past memorial day weekend had me thinking…I had just serviced my car's AC, but haven't had anyone service my home air conditioner in a long time.  I figure, like many of us, I just switch the thermostat from heat to cool and all will work flawlessly. It's not like you take your house into a "home mechanic" at regular intervals like you do your car.   I guess the last time was only because my AC needed repair.  I called one of the large companies that advertise a lot in the Denver area.  I thought, if they are a big HVAC repair company, they must be reputable and a guy in single truck isn't.  What I didn't realize is they were charging me a premium for servicing my system and sold plans that seem like veiled ploys to get them back into my house.

I was told I needed to re-wire my home thermostat and was sold a preventative maintenance plan.  Being busy and not paying attention to detail, I agreed.  When they came back a year later, they checked my whole house, including plumbing and told me I needed a ton of plumbing issues addressed giving me another large bid.  I know plumbing better than my ac or furnace and realized what they were proposing could be addressed by nothing more than changing a bowl plug and other internals I could buy for $20.  I was immediately skeptical and felt like their preventative maintenance program was a ploy to get them back into my house so they could find something else wrong.    

So how do you choose a good HVAC contractor?  Drive from Westminster to Broomfield and you'll see 12 different pickups with a magnet saying they do HVAC work.  

Remember, your furnace and your air conditioner are two completely different home appliances, but interoperate and  use the same vents and ductwork throughout your house.  I've learned that as a home-owner, you should check your filters, condensors & coolant lines to make sure they are clean and in proper order.  Don't know how to do that? Maybe finding a company to check it out for you is in order.  I also learned that the filters I've been buying might be putting undue strain on my heating and air systems as my furnace can't handle the overly restrictive filters I had been buying.  

I like to buy locally.  Groceries, musical instruments, sporting goods…I think in this world of Walmarts, Guitar Centers & REIs, there is still room for the knowledgeable local specialist.  As a matter of fact, as the big boxes get bigger, it seems their service and knowledge base has suffered.  Doing searches online, reading reviews and calling around has helped me find many great local businesses that know their stuff, are competitively priced, take care of me and seem to genuinely appreciate my business.  

Not that you need to use someone in your backyard, but it is nice to know that help is 15-20 minutes away. Of the 3 local guys I called, I found Colorado Heat, Air and Fireplace Repair to be all I was looking for.  They are a division of Trinity Services, a decent sized local company that has more than 1 truck but doesn't spend thousands on tv and radio ads.  Check them out here: www.coloradoheatingandair.com.   I've switched my filter purchase and change it with greater frequency thanks to what I've learned from the folks at Trinity Services.

International au pairs support American military families

Celebrating Military Appreciation Month

Erie, Colorado May 2, 2011 -- The tradition of honoring our military on Memorial Day is a great example of American culture for au pairs who are experiencing life in the U.S. for the first time. These young people from overseas will attend parades, wave flags, listen to tributes and taps, and kick off summer with their host families. However, for some au pairs, supporting our military goes far beyond Memorial Day.  

Simone Staudenmann from Switzerland is an au pair for the Liebold family which consists of mom Marian, infant twins, and LCDR Wayne Liebold, a deployed career Naval officer. Simone takes photos of developmental milestones of the children and posts them online so LCDR Liebold can see the twins sitting up, crawling, standing and walking. She also regularly shows them pictures of their father and helps them connect via Skype. “This way we can talk for a few minutes, even though I’m on the other side of the world. I can see them clapping, and playing and I know that they are happy and also that they haven’t forgotten me,” says Liebold.

Simone’s efforts are a tremendous help for a busy working mom and a priceless benefit for a deployed father. LCDR Leibold says, “Because of our au pair, I am able to do my job better. I know my family does not just have great childcare, but a family member who willingly has taken on the challenges of joining a military family with intuition, grace and an understanding of our needs and the needs of our children.” 

For military families, childcare is especially critical to their stability at home and their ability to focus and have peace of mind on the job. Unfortunately, according to a recent study by The Pew Center titled “On the Home Front”, military families struggle with childcare due to relocation, deployment, and non-traditional work hours. They are also affected by wait lists at military Child Development Centers (CDCs) or do not live on or near official installations that provide childcare.

The au pair option is an attractive alternative for military families for many reasons.  Kimberly Mowat, a local childcare coordinator for Cultural Care Au Pair who works with families in the Erie, Colorado area, shares how the program benefits parents in the armed services.

10 Ways an Au Pair Childcare Can Help Military Families

Quality childcare

All au pairs are carefully screened and trained and families receive attentive year-round support from local childcare coordinators. Cultural Care Au Pair goes above and beyond the strict guidelines that regulate the au pair program set by the U.S. Department of State.

Extra pair of hands

An au pair can provide extra help in the home in addition to childcare. Assistance with light household duties, homework help, and driving to children’s activities is particularly helpful following a spouse’s deployment.

Flexible scheduling

The flexibility of the au pair program allows families with unpredictable work schedules and non-traditional hours to set a schedule that works for them.

Assistance with moving 

Having an extra set of hands gives parents additional time, energy and freedom for packing, organizing and all the logistics involved in getting ready for a move.

Help settling in

When everything else is changing – home, school, friends, job – having consistent childcare can make the transition to a new place smoother for everyone.

Staying connected

An au pair can help children stay connected with deployed parents through daily activities such as letter or email writing, craft projects, and video conferencing.

Peace of mind

Knowing that their children are being cared for at home by a trained, experienced au pair allows military personnel to concentrate at work and focus on the job at hand.

No waiting list

Like many day care centers, military Child Development Centers (CDCs) often have long waiting lists. Families can apply for an au pair and welcome a child care provider into their home in eight weeks and sometimes even sooner.

Network with other military families

Cultural Care Au Pair is proud to serve more military families than any other au pair program. Interested parents can be connected with other military families who have welcomed an au pair into their home.

Military discount

In honor of Military Appreciation Month and in celebration of Memorial Day, military families who apply in May are eligible for a $75 application fee and a $650 program fee discount. To learn more about au pair childcare and other seasonal discounts especially for families of those serving in the military, visit www.culturalcare.com/military.

Families interested in learning more about au pair childcare can call Kimberly Mowat at 303-396-7328 or visit www.kmowat.aupairnews.com for additional information on the Cultural Care Au Pair program.

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About Cultural Care Au Pair

Cultural Care Au Pair is the leading provider of intercultural childcare in the United States. Since 1989, Cultural Care Au Pair has placed more than 85,000 au pairs in welcoming American homes. A U.S. Department of State regulated program, Cultural Care Au Pair is headquartered in Cambridge, MA, with their own extensive network of recruitment, screening and orientation offices worldwide and more than 600 local coordinators across the U.S. For more information about hosting an au pair, visit www.culturalcare.com or call 800-333-6056.