Dan's Nextep Ideas

August Already

2009-08-02T07:21:00.005-04:00

It has been a cool summer so far. Sure we have had our hot and humid days but the news media has been reporting that July was one of the coolest on record. By no means does that mean we are going to stay cool. So I have added a few items for you to check out.

How about adding solar energy to your home, check the link to the right
Keesta Mattresses on sale for the month of August
New Nextep - FlyAway Video added from Lake of Taylor Golf Club

Be sure to check this link to Lakes of Taylor. They have named the new pavilion The Dock.

We just recently installed a screen on a home in New Boston. Our new found friends wanted to control the sun glare on their patio. Next year we look forward to completely enclosing their patio with FlyAway screens so they can control uninvited guest too. You know the kind of guests we're talking about, mosquitoes, flies, gnats and your weird second cousin.

Riding My Bike

2009-06-21T05:38:00.003-04:00

It was a beautiful day yesterday, so I went on my longest bike ride of the spring. Yesterday was the last day of spring by the way, this morning we are officially into summer. I was out for over an hour though not intentionally. I was checking out our city wide garage sale.

I did not stop anywhere, nothing really caught my eye except a backyard gazebo. I could see from the street that it was screened in and being in the outdoor screen business I wanted to know if all the screens were permanent, how effective they were and how well they stayed in place. If you haven't seen our screens click on the screen business link and look at the pictures from my previous post. Lakes of Taylor Golf Course in Taylor, Michigan just completed construction on a new pavilion which included our screens.

Anyway, back to my bike ride. I got directionally disoriented while cruising through a sub I had never been in. I thought I was circling back towards my house when I was really heading north. When I exited the subdivision I knew I wasn't in Kansas anymore Toto. The street wasn't marked so I just made a turn and kept riding until I knew where I was again. I wasn't upset at all because I started my ride in the right frame of mind. I was out to explore and to exercise with no time limit. Take it from me, when you start an activity in the with the right mindset you will have more enjoyment and less stress. Too many times we do things because it has become routine without ever thinking about why we do them. If I had started my ride just because I must exercise and only allotted thirty minutes to squeeze it in, I would have been very aggravated and stressed.

I have to get ready for church now, but I will take time to think about why I am going to drive forty minutes to church. Is it routine or does it serve a purpose?

Check out the link to the right at detnews.com-green. The article titled "Michigan ramps up roads and trails ..." talks about increased bike ridership.

Wow, has really been since March 17th

2009-06-08T05:15:00.005-04:00

It has been since March 17th since my last post. Thanks to Debbie B. for being my constant reminder to update.

Well our live shows are over for the year and now we are ready to get back to work and keep our blogs updated. Exciting news our first install of the season is done. It is a showpiece for us with a beautiful golf course as a backdrop. As you can see our screens have a nice tight finish so you can hardly tell that they are there in the picture. Other screens might have ripples in them, not ours.

This is just a great setting. If you are in the Detroit area and would like to see these up close or rent this pavilion for graduations, dinner parties, golf outings or other occasions write me at dan.nextepgreen@gmail.com.

These screens are such a great way to cool off a deck or patio without the use of much electricity, the only power you use is the very short time it takes to raise or lower the screen. The shading effect will also keep the adjacent rooms cooler.

It was great fun watching the final day of construction and our screens being installed. The designer and contractor did a great job. If you would like to know more about them send me an e-mail.

If you would like to know more about our motorized retractable screens visit www.pest-free-zone.com.

NextepGreen Is Now Live

2009-03-17T07:02:00.002-04:00

Our newest site is now launched. On this day that we celebrate St. Patrick's Day and all thing green we are pleased to announce www.nextepgreen.com is available for viewing. It is by no means complete, I don't think any of our sites will ever be "complete", but that is part of the fun, always being creative, always looking for great products and ideas.

When you visit nextepgreen you will find links to great products that will hopefully make your living spaces more livable and the conserve the creation that surrounds us. You will see our FlyAway Screen System featured as well as Alen Air Purifiers. Be sure to read the short story about Alen on the Air Purifiers page.

Radiothon
Thanks to all who participated in the Dick Purtan Salvation Army Bead & Bread Club Radiothon. Even in the hard economic times around the Detroit area metro Detroiters came together and raised over two million dollars to feed and shelter those in need. We at Nextep Ideas are humbled that we were able to donate.

Visit Us
Look at the column on the right for our show dates. Stop by and say hello if you can.

Dick Purtan's Radiothon

2009-02-25T04:11:00.005-05:00

It is time for the Dick Purtan Radiothon for the Salvation Army's Bed and Bread Club. I have been giving to this organization since its inception. Not only will I give again this year but my business, Nextep Ideas, will give also.

Here's is what Bed and Bread is all about...

The 2009 Dick Purtan Radiothon benefits The Salvation Army Bed & Bread program which brings food, shelter and services to countless destitute people within our community, providing them with their basic needs and assisting them to get back on their feet. The Bed & Bread program provides almost 5,000 meals every day of the year to children, adults and seniors who would otherwise go hungry and shelters nearly 570 each night.

By making a donation of $10 a month, for a total of $120 a year, or $20 a month, for a total of $240 a year, donors gain membership to the Bed & Bread Club. Bed & Bread Club members are eligible for a Michigan tax credit. Donors, who pledge $240 or more for the year, will receive a commemorative collectible of Harrison the cartoon Bed & Bread truck, with Dick Purtan as the driver.

I know times are tough for a number of people but if you have a roof over your head, food in your pantry and making a living would you consider giving a little back to those in need. You can make a donation with this link.

See news article See Video

Be sure to listen to the 16 hour radiothon this Friday, Feb. 27. If you are in the Detroit area it is WOMC 104.3 if your listening on the internet is http://womc.com/.

If you are in the Detroit area this weekend visit us at the Cottage and Lakefront Living Show. You can see the details in the upper right hand column.

Just Like Riding A Bike

2009-02-16T06:35:00.004-05:00

We recently had a few days in the 40's and 50's. Just enough to tease us about spring. I think we Michiganders are ready for some warm weather. This has been one of the coldest and snowiest winters in quite some time. I have the gas bills to prove it.

There were two exciting articles in the Detroit News over the weekend. You can find both by clicking on the links under detnews - green. The second one "Bikes with buzz" is about a new retail store opening in my area. The store's name is eCo Wheelz and the sell battery operated bikes. Riders can pedal these bikes for excercize or kick in the throttle and let the bike do the work. Federal law limits the speed of the bikes to 20 miles per hour. These bikes are around $900. I am seriously considering buying one. I could leave my car in the garage for more than 75% of the short trips I take. eCo Wheelz has a great website too, you can visit them at www.eco-wheelz.com.

The other article is about Dow Chemical plans to sell solar shingles by 2011. It is a very short article but imagine generating some of your own electricity with the shingles on your house.

You can see us at the upcoming Cottage & Lake Front Living Show Booth 1635 at the Rock Financial Showplace February 26th - March 1. The following weekend we are at the Lake Home & Cabin Show in Shaumburg, IL.

Thank you to all of you that have taken the time to add comments and have added us to your feeds.

Very Very Cold

2009-01-18T19:33:00.005-05:00

We have made it through one of the coldest weeks in my memory. One morning on my way into the office the thermometer read -2 degrees. I thought we have hit bottom now it will start to warm up. I was wrong. The next morning the same thermometer read -6. During the day it didn't get above 16 degrees. A warming trend is on the way, we are supposed to get above freezing by Wednesday.

We were at the Suburban Michigan Home show this past weekend. Despite the snow and cold we had very good crowds both days. There was a lot of interest in our outdoor screen systems. Not only will these screens block out harmful UV rays and diffuse winds they will provide what we like to call a pest free oasis. People always ask if their pets will ruin these screens. They won't. These things are built tough.

Why do I like to mention our outdoor screens on a blog that is about "green" ideas? If you have direct sunlight coming in from your back deck or your front porch you can substantially cool those areas of your house by lowering these screens. Lower the screens and take a load off your air conditioner and your summer cooling bill. Next weekend we are at the Novi Home Improvement Show

The North American International Auto Show is in full swing here in Detroit. Once again the hot tickets are the electric and hybrid fuel cars. I saw on the news yesterday that there is a track on the lower level where you can drive an electric vehicle. Michigan is working hard to catch the next wave of automotive technology. We have recently passed tax credits for electric car battery manufacturers.

I have added RSS feeds from the Detroit News Green section. Now you can see the latest headlines just over to the right of the main post area.

Hello 2009

2009-01-05T19:27:00.005-05:00

Well wasn't 2008 just a fantastic year. My friend Chris and I start a new business and I was able to play golf on a weekly basis for the first time in many years. A new grand niece was born this year as my family continues to grow.

My church is growing and we continue to look for ways we can serve our community. One of the events we participate in is the "Community Christmas Party". Several churches band together and "adopt" children by buying Christmas gifts for the kids and having a pizza party with them and their parent or parents. This isn't just a church adopting kids it is families in the churches or individuals in the churches adopting the kids. So it turns out to be a wonderful experience for the family or individual to go out and give anonymously to a child of whom they only know by age and the short wish list the child or parent provided. My church was able to sponsor 96 children this year and we are not a big church. Chris and I were pleased that we could sponsor 6 kids with our new business. We hope to help more next Christmas.

Santa and his elves at the Christmas party

If you would like to help next Christmas write to me at dan.nextepgreen@gmail.com and I will get you to the right people that will accept your donation. We put a spending limit of $50 per child. If we didn't do this you might have one child with $50 worth of gifts sitting next to a child with much more. There is also the cost of the arena that is used, the inflatables that are brought in and the food and beverages. All of the workers involved are volunteers, so there is no expense there.

If you have looked around my blog you have seen that I am from Wixom, Michigan which is a suburb of Detroit. This area has devastated by the weakening economy so I expect the need in the community to be greater next Christmas.

One other goal I accomplished in 2008 was to start a blog. This blog is supposed to be about practical, sensible ideas and products that you and I can use to conserve our environment. So maybe next time I will write about that.

Don't be afraid to post your ideas.

Dan

Giving Thanks - Continued

2008-11-30T19:13:00.002-05:00

As I mentioned yesterday, I love the four seasons of Michigan. My business partner Chris who lives just 7 miles south of me said it was rainy all day. My mother who lives about 25 miles south said the same thing. I had a beautiful snowfall. This is the view from my living room. It is nice to see snow since I spent much of yesterday putting up the Christmas decorations.

Welcome To My Blog

2008-11-29T16:14:00.005-05:00

Well I certainly have a lot to be thankful for. One of the many things I am thankful for is being born and raised in Michigan. Michigan is such a great place of natural beauty and four ever changing seasons. Right now I can look out my living room window at the snow covered nature preserve. Once in awhile I will see deer foraging for food. Michigan has miles and miles of coast line, sand dunes, forests, inland lakes and waterfalls. I am sure that where ever you are from holds its own special charms. It is all worth preserving.

I am not one of those whom you might call an environmentalist whacko. I do believe we should do what we can to preserve what nature has given us and we should be good stewards of what God has created. Ah, but there's the problem. What can "little old me" do? It's easy for millionaire Hollywood actors, and rich network newsies what we should be doing with our money. It's easy for do gooder politicians to take our money and spend it on the latest fad all in the name of planet earth. But what can you and I do?

That is what this blog is about. Me and my business partner are all about finding the next great idea and products that will make all our lives better. Some we will have tried and will recommend, some we will just throw out there and let you be the judge. If an idea seems worth trying then by all means try it out and respond back on this blog so that others may learn from your experience. If a product is mentioned and you deem it within your budget to purchase it and try it we ask that you let all the rest of us know if it was worth what you paid.

There are all kinds of ways to help preserve our natural resources and help our household budgets. Common sense stuff like using CFL lights instead of incandescant (though there are some known drawbacks), lowering your heating temperature a few degrees and raising you cooling temperatures. There are also proven technologies that have been around for awhile that we can discuss such as tankless water heaters and geothermal pumps. I have also seen a few do-it-yourself wind generators and solar panels. Then there are the money making ideas such as battery reconditioning and "Make Insane $$$ Brokering Carbon Credits". I am not a purveyor of the whole carbon credit thing but this is a discussion forum. If you want to try to make money from it I have made it easy for you. Just click on it and it will take you there. If you do try please bring it back here for discussion whether you succeed of fail. We want to know.

Until next time have a great day,

dan.nextepgreen