4 Important Steps to Prepare Your Fireplace for Winter

4 Important Steps to Prepare Your Fireplace for

Winter by Lisa Parrelli

Now that fall is here, you're probably looking forward to curling up in front of a warm fire this winter. Before you light your first fire of the season, follow the checklist below to make sure that you can enjoy your fireplace safely this winter. Chimneys are the most overlooked “appliance” in a home that needs maintenance!

Have a Chimney Inspection

Before your first fire, have your chimney inspected by a Chimney Safety Institute of America certified chimney sweep. Don't delay your chimney inspection. Scheduling your inspection early ensures that you can make an appointment when it's convenient for you.The benefits of a chimney inspection include:

Fire Prevention

Over time, deposits of soot, creosote, or glaze can build up in your chimney, putting you at risk of a chimney fire. The National Fire Protection Association recommends that you have your chimney inspected and cleaned once a year. Hire a certified chimney sweep to ensure that your chimney is clean and safe.

Discover Hidden Damage

Many homeowners don't notice chimney damage until it becomes critical. Common chimney problems include damaged flue liners, warped dampers, or cracked chimney crowns. These issues are not usually discovered without a chimney inspection. Having your chimney inspected before winter lets you catch problems like this early, before they become more severe and much more expensive to fix.

Eliminate Pests and Debris

Your chimney can become clogged with sticks and leaves, much like your gutters. Birds, squirrels, and other animals often nest in chimneys during the spring and summer, blocking your flue. Lighting a fire when the flue is blocked by debris creates a potential fire hazard and prevents smoke from venting properly. Have a chimney inspection and cleaning to ensure that your chimney is clear and safe.

Comply With Homeowner's Insurance Requirements

Many homeowners don't realize it, but many homeowner's insurance policies require an annual chimney cleaning and inspection. These policies will not cover damage that's caused by a fireplace without proof that the chimney was cleaned and inspected within the past year. Check with your insurance carrier to find out if your homeowner's policy requires it. If so, keep all documentation after you have your chimney inspected.

Open Your Damper

Check to make sure that your chimney's damper is completely open before you light a fire. Otherwise, your house could fill with smoke.

Check Your Smoke Alarm

Before lighting your first fire, replace the batteries in your smoke alarm and make sure that it's functioning properly. Keep a fire extinguisher on hand, too.

Install a Carbon Monoxide Alarm

If you don't have a carbon monoxide alarm, install one before you light your first fire. This is a must. Carbon monoxide is a major safety concern when using your fireplace. Carbon monoxide is completely odorless and is undetectable without an alarm.

The Teagarden and Koen Families

by Teri Hebert

We love featuring connections in the neighborhood. Canyon Creek often feels like a small world, after all.

This month we were introduced to the Teagarden and Koen families. By chance, both families live in the neighborhood not knowing the other family lived here before they moved in.

But as it just so happens, Jill Teagarden and Mike Koen are cousins. Let’s get to know the Teagardens and the Koens.

The Teagardens

Mike and Jill Teagarden (yes we have two Mikes between the two families) met in high school in Ft. Worth. Back then, they were classmates and just friends.

They met again years later when they were in their 20s. They both happened to go to the same Jack Ingram concert in Deep Ellum where they ran into each other. But it was awhile before they actually started dating.

They’ve now been married for 17 years. Mike and Jill lived in the M Streets of Dallas before making their way to Canyon Creek. Once kids were in the picture, they wanted to be in a neighborhood with good schools for their family. They looked at several neighborhoods before finding their home and settling in Canyon Creek. And they’ve

loved it here ever since.

Only after they moved to the neighborhood did they realize Jill’s cousin Mike lived about a half mile away with his family.

Jill works in corporate development for a healthcare performance improvement company called Vizient. Mike has been in the IT world for twenty years but is now starting his own business with a new franchise of redbox+. It’s a company that services construction waste

containers at residential and commercial job sites.

Jill and Mike have two sons, Max and Sam. Max is the oldest at twelve years old. He is in the 7th grade at North Junior High. Max plays the trombone, is active in the church hand bell choir, loves scuba diving, and enjoys golf. He’s also in Boy Scouts.

Sam is ten years old and in the 5th grade at Prairie Creek Elementary. He plays soccer and the piano, is active in his church hand bell choir, and he also loves golf. Sam is also in Cub with his cousin Jackson (of the Koen family).

The rest of the family consists of their two adorable mutts, Shiner and Stella, and two newly adopted cats from Take Me Home Pet Rescue.

The Teagardens love living close to family. They love that there are so many things to get involved in by living in Richardson, and it’s close to anything they need. They also enjoy the tight-knit feel of the neighborhood.

As a family, you’ll find them at the restaurants in II Creeks. They also love to travel. Mike and the boys enjoy camping with the Scouts. And Jill finds that Richardson is an easy city to live in and to work with.

She’s currently working with the City and the Prairie Creek Garden Club to set up a butterfly garden in the park next spring.

The Koens

Mike and Lara Koen met in Breckenridge Park. Lara worked for the City of Richardson Parks Department at the time. She was working at the City’s family campout in Breckenridge park. Mike (yes the “other” Mike between the two families) was there for the campout with his sister and his nephew.

Lara was taking photos of the event and captured Mike’s athleticism while playing disc golf. She caught Mike’s attention and he asked her about her camera to start a conversation. After Lara realized that Mike was with his sister (not a girlfriend or wife) she realized he was just a

single guy who was interested in her.

They began dating in 2004 and were married in 2007. When they were ready to start their family, Lara left COR for a career with more consistent hours. She’s been a senior tax accountant with Atmos Energy for thirteen years. Mike is in telecom sales.

The Koen family includes three kids. Jackson is the oldest at ten years old. He’s in the 5th grade at Aldridge Elementary. Jackson plays select soccer for FC Dallas. He also plays basketball, the Plano

Children’s Chorale, and is the historian for student council. And of course, he’s in Cub Scouts.

Next come the twins: Kathryn and Carolina. They are in the 3rd grade at Aldridge. Kathryn plays soccer for Sting and soccer. She also plays basketball, loves to strum on her guitar, and enjoys horses.

Carolina plays soccer, basketball, and enjoys gymnastics. When asked the difference between her and her sister, she feels that she’s a “city girl” while Kathryn is a “country girl”. On top of everything they do, both girls are in Cub Scouts with Jackson and Sam (of the Teagardens).

Rounding out the family are their two dogs. Lady Paloma Marshmallow of Canyon Ridge is an English Springer Spaniel. She goes by “Paloma”. Chloe Cocoa Bean is their Sheltie.

loves that Canyon Creek has trees and hills. The family loves having so many families with kids close by. They also agree the neighborhood is a community. Lara appreciates the support of their neighbors.

The Family That Scouts Together Stays Together

While their busy schedules and different activities don’t often allow both families to get together as often as they’d like, one thing does keep them together.

The Scouts.

All of the kids are involved in the same scout troops. For the first time, Kathryn and Caroline are participating in scouts with Sam and Jackson. In fact, they might be among the first girls throughout the council to have earned Bobcat awards.

Mike Koen is the Cub Master for Pack 262. He’s an Eagle Scout and enjoys that his kids also love the Scouts. He says the pack has grown to 95 kids since last year with about one third of the pack consisting of girls this year.

Mike and Jill Teagarden are also active in the packs with Sam and now with Max moving on to Boy Scout troop 1001 where Mike is now an Adult Patrol Leader. It’s a family affair for the Teagardens and Koens to stay involved and help lead the scouts in

the neighborhood.

Teagarden and Koen families, thank you for sharing your lives with us this month! We’re so glad you accidentally ended up in Canyon Creek together. Together, your families help make the neighborhood a wonderful place to be.

Healthier Holiday Drink – Azuñia Tequila

About Azuñia Tequila

Azuñia is smooth, clean craft tequila with authentic flavor from the local terroir in every sip. It is the exclusive export of Agaveros Unidos de Amatitán and its second-generation, family-owned-and-operated Rancho Miravalle estate, which has created exceptional tequila for more than 20 years. Made with 100% pure Weber Blue Agave grown in dedicated fields of the Tequila Valley BLANCO in the heart of Mexico, we harvest Clean floral nose with hints of agave by hand and roast the organic agave & lemon Long finish of light pepper & in traditional clay hornos to ensure citrus. Purely unaged authenticity and depth of flavor. We then finish with a natural, open-air fermentation process and bottle REPOSADO Light agave aroma with hints of onsite in small batches using a butterscotch & wood Warm, slight consistent process to deliver field-tovanilla finish. Rested 8 months bottle quality. You can find Azuñia - Tequila at the retailers listed below.

Proudly Served at

Organica the

Ingredients (For One)

1.5 oz Azuñia Blanco or Reposado .75 oz Azuñia 100% Blue Agave Syrup 1 oz fresh lime juice splash water lime wheel garnish

Directions

Prep your old fashioned glass by rubbing a fresh lime wedge along the rim and dipping the glass in salt (if desired). Fill a shaker 2/3 full with ice. Add tequila, syrup, lime juice and water to the shaker, seal and shake vigorously for 10 seconds. Strain into your old fashioned glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wheel. ¡Salud!

Azuñia Tequila State Manager, Canyon Creek Resident, Bill Griffin at Azuñia Tequila Rancho Miravalle distillery in Amatitan, Jalisco

Start Your Summer Bod This Fall

by Teri Hebert

If you haven’t noticed by now, getting in shape doesn’t happen overnight. One workout doesn’t give you the abs you always wanted. One squat doesn’t perfectly tone your backside. One bicep curl doesn’t give you the arms of a Greek god.

Your best body takes time and work.

If you just finished summer and you never achieved that summer body you wanted, guess what? NEXT summer will be here before you know it. You can get a head start on next summer’s summer bod right now.

Decide.

Lose weight? Tone up? Rock a bikini? Get ripped? Decide today what your goal is. Once you have a goal, then you work on a plan. But check your motivation first.

Know.

What’s the real reason behind the change you want to see in your body. Is it to improve self-esteem? Is it for health reasons? Is it to keep up with your picture-perfect neighbors?

The only valid reason to make changes to your body is for YOU. And your goal should focus on improved health, rather than amazing abs.

If your focus is on better health, you’ll develop better habits. Habits last longer than fad diets or crazy exercise trends. And with healthy habits come weight loss, muscle tone, and yes, potentially some abs.

Plan.

When you have a goal and a healthy reason, you’re ready for a plan. Your plan includes two things: food and exercise.

“But it’s fall and there will be Thanksgiving food, then Christmas food, then New Year’s food and drinks . . . I’ll wait til January”.

Nope. Plan now. You can still enjoy the fun food and drink of the upcoming holidays. But there’s no reason to wait to improve

your health and meet next summer’s goals.

Work.

Yes, it takes work. It takes effort to get up earlier or make time after work for your workout. It takes commitment to not eat a cheeseburger and cookies every day.

Map it out, write it down, find a partner, work the plan.

Remember, a healthy body won’t look the same on everyone. Skinny isn’t always better. Your “summer bod” might not look like anyone’s idea of the “perfect” summer body. And that’s ok.

Whether your summer bod for next year is slimmer, more toned, or just healthier in generalnow is a better time than ever to start. Enjoy your fall tailgate foods and Halloween treats. But make healthier choices before and after those foods and occasions.

Eat well. Move to burn your food energy. And enjoy the season!

After seeing my weight creeping higher year after year, I was becoming frustrated. Many diets later, all my scale did was go down and then back up and then up again. I resigned myself to being heavier as age and hormones changed. In addition to the weight challenge, my lab numbers were showing signs of deteriorating health.

B Butut i in n M Mayay I I ststarart teded o on n a a nenew w h healealthth p pl lanan anand d h haveave now dropped 24 pounds, 4 inches in my waist, and 3 clothing sizes.

If you are as frustrated as I was, and if you or someone you know have health and weight loss goals, I would love to help you. Let me partner with you on your optimal health journey.

Holly Carroccio Certified Health Coach Cell: 214-914-1189

Information below was obtained from NTREIS. Properties were listed and/or sold by many Brokers between 7/1/18-8/31/18

SOLD PROPERTIES

530 Sage Valley Dr 303 High Brook Dr 314 Ridgewood Dr 301 Forest Grove Dr 2813 Forest Grove Dr 403 Northview Dr 2033 Sage Valley Dr 2707 W Prairie Creek 307 Lawndale Dr 1140 Wilderness Trail 407 Brook Glen Dr 2211 Shady Creek Dr 2605 Ridgebriar Place 2311 W Prairie Creek 2419 Little Creek Dr 2902 Canyon Creek Dr 1130 Bull Run 9 Willow Creek Dr 2223 Flat Creek Dr 326 Crestover Dr

SQFT

1,440 2,421 2,213 2,104 2,450 1,740 1,847 2,381 2,247 3,295 2,264 2,511 2,597 2,543 3,069 3,099 3,436 3,148 3,050 3,614

LIST PRICE

$275,000 $355,000 $355,000 $349,900 $395,000 $339,500 $389,900 $379,900 $379,900 $405,000 $474,900 $499,000 $489,500 $475,000 $569,000 $549,900 $649,000 $699,900 $745,000 $939,900

SOLD DATE

07/20/18 08/15/18 07/31/18 08/03/18 08/28/18 08/29/18 07/30/18 08/02/18 07/30/18 07/23/18 07/16/18 07/10/18 08/17/18 08/09/18 07/31/18 07/11/18 08/09/18 08/13/18 07/24/18 07/20/18 Information below was obtained from NTREIS. Properties were listed and/or sold by many Brokers between

9/1/18-10/31/18

SOLD PROPERTIES

2938 Forest Hills 2706 Pinery Lane 402 Lawndale 509 Arrowhead 2030 Sage Valley 414 Canyon Ridge Drive 440 Valley Glen Drive 329 Crestover Drive 409 Lawndale Drive 2023 Fairmeadow 2317 Shady Creek Drive 419 Forest Grove Drive 508 Sage Valley 5 Doral Place 410 Northview Drive 319 Woodcrest Drive 2662 Provencial Lane 318 Oakcrest Drive 434 Fall Creek Drive 26 Shady Cove

SQFT

2,518 1,700 1,948 1,543 2,023 1,786 1,845 1,787 1,893 1,556 1,984 2,233 1,815 2,273 2,146 2,189 2,930 3,449 4,902 3,211

LIST PRICE

$255,000 $289,000 $299,900 $299,900 $334,000 $334,500 $360,000 $365,000 $375,000 $379,900 $385,900 $399,000 $399,000 $410,000 $450,000 $529,900 $579,500 $748,000 $1,124,00 $1,199,00

SOLD DATE

09/19/18 09/27/18 10/23/18 10/30/18 10/26/18 09/21/18 10/26/18 10/30/18 10/03/18 09/28/18 10/24/18 09/27/18 09/25/18 09/26/18 09/10/18 10/25/18 10/24/18 09/17/18 10/12/18 09/14/18

THEN & NOW

Canyon Creek, 7/1/2017 - 8/28/2017 Canyon Creek, 7/1/2018 - 8/31/2018

• Properties Sold: 32 • Properties Sold: 20 • Price Range: $275,000-$1,050,000 • Price Range: $275,000-$939,000 • Average Price: $484,627 • Average Price: $485,715 • Average Price PSF: $189.68 • Average Price PSF: $188.77

THEN & NOW

Canyon Creek, 9/1/2017 - 10/31/2017

• Properties Sold: 13 • Price Range: $330,000-$999,900 • Average Price: $500,985 • Average Price PSF: $175.23

Canyon Creek, 9/1/2018 - 10/31/2018

• Properties Sold: 20 • Price Range: $255,000-$1,199,000 • Average Price: $475,825 • Average Price PSF: $208.07

If you are considering selling, please call me for a complimentary market analysis to find out what your home is worth! DON’T LEAVE MONEY ON THE TABLE!

And, if you choose to list with me just mention this ad and I will credit you $1,500 at closing.

214-893-4171

For Sale

2010 Sandy Trail 3/2/2 Beautifully Updated 1,782 sq ft Offered at $359,900

Angela Green

Keller Williams Central angela.green@kw.com www.GreenSellsHomes.com Phone: 214-893-4171

Serving Dallas, Collin and Denton Counties 21 years full time experience!

Attainable Inclusive Exceptional

NORTH DALLAS ADVENTIST ACADEMY

offers the best of a family-like, private Christian school without the stuffy price tag. Excellent academics and extracurricular enrichment don’t have to cost what you’d pay for a year of college. At NDAA, we ensure that an exceptional Christian education is within reach.

Celebrating 34 years of Christian education in North Texas, North Dallas Adventist Academy is part of the largest protestant educational system in the world, and offers Kindergarten through 12th grade. Leveraging on this global experience, our local organization strives to challenge and inspire our students to grow mentally, spiritually, and physically.

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES

- Basketball Season Begins - Varsity, Jr Varsity, Middle School (Nov 1) - Christmas Concert (December 8) - Larnelle Harris Concert (December 9) - Community Service to Senior Citizens (December 11) - Christmas Caroling (December 14) - Mission Trip to British Virgin Islands (March 7-17)

2800 Custer Parkway Richardson, Texas 75080 Phone: 972-234-NDAA (6322) Fax: 469-372-7658 Email: Offi ce@ndaAcademy.org

Joanna Spradley

Our student of the month needed a little help from mom for us to get to know her. Thanks to Laura Spradley for helping Joanna tell us about herself!

Tell us your name, what school you currently attend, and what year you are in school.

My name is Joanna Spradley. I’m seven years old and a first-grader at Prairie Creek Elementary.

What other schools have you attended?

Joanna did the 2’s, 3’s, and 4’s classes at Rainbow Connection preschool in East Richardson.

What’s your favorite subject in school?

Joanna loves Science! She passes time at her brother’s soccer games hunting for insects and worms. She also loves walks to look for rolypolys which she then cares for in her “roly-poly playground.”

Outside of schools, what do you do for fun, hobbies, work, etc.?

Joanna is fortunate to be part of an active Daisy troop with her firstgrade classmates. She also takes year-round swim lessons. She LOVES water and would spend all her time at the beach, lake, or pool if she could.

How long have you lived in Canyon Creek?

We moved to Canyon Creek from Greenwood Hills in 2011 shortly after Joanna was born. She had unexpected medical needs at birth that hospitalized her for about six weeks. When we were released from the hospital, it was only two days from our moving date! Our friends from the Mom’s Club of Richardson West and MOPS (including several who lived in Canyon Creek) came over, packed up our entire house, and helped us unpack it at our new house. It was a HUGE blessing during one of our most challenging seasons.

Photos Courtesy of the Spradley family

What do you love most about living in Canyon Creek?

The beauty of the neighborhood (the trees! the waterfall!) and the friends!

Share with us a funny or awesome story of living in Canyon Creek.

During Joanna’s medical treatment in Philadelphia last fall, including her 7th and most serious surgery, our Canyon Creek neighbors rallied and supported us in every way imaginable. They helped care for our two older children, brought meals and take-out gift certificates, and mailed cards and toys to Joanna to help her pass the time in the Ronald McDonald house. Her kindergarten friends drew pictures that one of the moms made into a quilt that still hangs over Joanna’s bed today.

Your Attic . . . . Air Quality, & Your Family - choose local! by Teri Hebert

You can always depend on Texas weather to impact your home’s energy efficiency (and bills!), no matter the season. Extreme heat in the summer creates a hot, humid attic space that increases the heat in your home. And those chilly winter nights (yes, we do get a few!) can make your entire home feel like an icebox without proper attic insulation.

Aside from cranking up the a/c in the summer and the heater in the winter, is there anything else you can do to maintain a comfortable home year-round? If you ask your Canyon Creek neighbor Ryan Amerson, he can help overhaul your attic in a way that properly insulates your home while also reducing your utility bills.

Energy Attic, locally owned and operated by Amerson and his wife Tiffany, uses a 3-part Energy Reduction System (ERS System) to make your home or office as energy efficient as possible, save you money on heating and cooling costs, and reduce your carbon footprint on the environment.

With a Micah 6:8 mission to “Do what is right, Love people, and Work humbly”, the Amerson Family has developed a business that puts people first, and profits second. “It seems to be working!”, says Ryan. “We strive to live out Galations 6:10: ‘. . . while we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people.’ Home means a lot of different things to a lot of people . . . to us, it’s where life happens. We have an opportunity to change the performance, air quality, and energy costs in the place where everyone can make a difference in this world: Home.”

How do they do it? Their System combines three different components: Radiant Barrier, Attic Insulation, and Proper Ventilation. These three components work in tandem to make a complete system that will reduce your year-round energy costs.

Some of our older, established homes here in Canyon Creek have years of deteriorated materials in our attics. These materials are harmful to breathe, plus many older homes have developed cracks and crevices in the attic space that allows dust, moisture, and sometimes unwanted critters into your home.

Ryan and his team work diligently to clean and clear musty, dusty, and moldy attics to transformed it into a clean, air-tight, energyefficient space. They are meticulous and detailed in their work to help make your attic something that helps improve the air quality in your home while saving you money. Energy Attic products offer the following benefits for home or business owners:

Pay for themselves in a few years or less Offer green alternatives for saving money on your bills and addressing the comfort level of your home Can be installed in new or existing homes, offices, or out-buildings Conserve energy and help the environment by reducing your carbon footprint Qualify as Energy Star products

Visit www.energyattic.com or Call 972-548-0088 for your FREE ATTIC OVERHAUL ESTIMATE.

Did you know the playground equipment in Mimosa Park is the work of some of your neighbors? Meet Travis and Emily Lea of Lea Park & Play, Inc.

What is your name and the name of your business? How long have you been in business?

We are Travis and Emily Lea. Our business is Lea Park & Play, Inc. and we have been in business for more than 10 years.

Tell us about your business (what do you do, where do you do it, etc).

We design, sell, and install commercial park and playground equipment. We are a rep agency for Little Tikes Commercial and several other park and playground equipment manufacturers. Our office is in Richardson but we serve the majority Texas and Oklahoma. Our primary focus is working with city parks and recreation departments, schools, churches, daycare centers, apartment complexes, and homeowner associations. We also provide playground safety surfacing, shade structures, pavilions, site furnishings, and outdoor athletic equipment.

What inspired you to do what you do?

Travis: My dad started the business back in 1973.I grew up helping him out in the office, installing playgrounds, and testing them out. I started working for him after graduating from The University of Texas. Emily joined me after we had our first child (Lily) and she retired from teaching. The playground industry is a fun business to be in and I enjoy getting to be a part of the design process for new parks and play areas.

Tells us a favorite story or two about your business.

It’s hard to pick one particular story. But probably the best thing about this business is getting to see the excitement on kids’ faces when

a new playground is first opened and they storm the playground to try it out. It’s a pretty cool thing to see!

How long have you lived in Canyon Creek? We have lived here for more than six years.

What brought you to Canyon Creek?

Emily: Travis grew up in Richardson and we knew we would love for our kids to go through the same school system. The first drive through Canyon Creek was all it took for us to know we would end up here!

What do you love most about living in Canyon Creek?

Emily: We love the sense of community and the great friends we have made since moving in. It’s like having a second family all around you!

Tell us about your family (names, ages, schools, work, etc).

We have two kiddos. Lily is nine years old and is in 4th grade at PCE. Luke is seven years old and at 1st grade at PCE. Both kids play soccer and basketball. Lily loves reading and is currently obsessed with Harry Potter. Luke can be found inventing with his Legos most days.

Share with us a funny or awesome story of living in Canyon Creek.

One of my favorites was living here for only a few months. We were outside playing and our older neighbor came out to tell us we should beware of the bobcats. We thought he was a little off his rocker only to learn we would cross paths with many bobcats and coyotes in no time!

Anything else you’d love for your neighbors to know about your business or you?

We are just happy to be part of such a wonderful neighborhood and community!

How can someone learn more about your playground equipment and services?

Visit us online at www.leaparkandplay.com. Or call us at (800) 237-4739.