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We’re very proud of our own Edie James! Edie volunteered with Operation Buckeye and mobilized her family and many agents from the Keller Williams Capital Partners Realty market center to donate their time to this very worthy cause.

Operation Buckeye began in Jim Caronis’ garage when he sent 10 boxes to troops overseas. In the past 6 years, his organization has packed and sent over 20,000 boxes to Ohio troops overseas. This last weekend they prepared 1100 boxes over five hours. Along with an American flag and a buckeye, recipients will find items such as Beef Jerky, candy, drink mixes, snack foods, canned fruit, granola bars, tooth brushes, toothpaste, books, batteries, deodorant, and foot powder. Jim researches the names of Ohio troops overseas and the organization ensures that at least 6 boxes arrive for the unit of the Ohio soldier.

Channel 10 was there to cover the event, as was Google for Veterans and Families.

If you know of an Ohio soldier overseas or would like to donate your time or money to this cause, please contact Operation Buckeye for details.

Battelle Darby Creek is the largest of the Metro Parks, occupying just over 7,000 acres, with more 20 miles of riparian forest that span two lovely creeks. In southwestern Franklin County, it’s a wonderful spot to go to get out and enjoy this amazing Fall we’ve been having. On Saturday, at 5:30 p.m., you and your family can head over to Battelle Darby Creek to take part in a one-mile hike in nature, enjoying the wonders of the night (yep, it will be night if you changed your clock back two weekends ago). There is no charge for this activity, and the age range is from toddlers to seniors. There are no reservations required for this event, and you would meet at the Naturalist Office to begin the hike. Note: This event is not wheelchair accessible.

When is the last time you were in a treasure hunt? Did you use GPS? You can now!

If you have some time the afternoon of the 19th, 1 p.m. to be exact, head over to Blacklick Woods in Reynoldsburg (Livingstone Avenue). Starting at the Nature Center, you’ll go on a search for hidden treasures … this search may be different than others you’ve been on before, as it uses portable GPS units! In answer to a question that’s possibly coming up in your mind right now, no, you don’t have to own a GPS unit to get in on the fun. Bring yours if you have one, but otherwise Metro Parks will provide you with one. The age range for this event is from youth (6-12), to teens (13-18), to adults, to seniors (50+). In short, almost everyone can enjoy this unique twist on a timeless activity. There’s no charge, by the way. Blacklick Woods was opened in 1948. It’s one of Metro Parks’ oldest and busiest systems. It has trails that wind through white oak, pine oak, and white ash. Approximately 100 of its over-600 acres are dedicated to beech-maple forest, but there are open meadows along the way so you can enjoy them too.

It’s been the same way for the longest time: children love puppet shows! Well, at Blendon Woods in Westerville, you and your preschoolers can meet at the Nature Center to get in on another no-charge event put on by your Metro Parks system. The date is the 19th, and the start time is 10 a.m. (but you may want to get there a little bit early). When you get there, you and your 3-5 year olds can take in a puppet show about “animal’s ideas of a feast”. Later, you’ll take a brief hike in the woods to see if there are any wild turkeys around.

Like the first two events, no reservations are required for this fun activity. And both the Blacklick Woods and Blendon Woods events are wheelchair accessible (remember, the Battelle Darby Creek night hike is not).

It has now become a holiday when a grateful nation celebrates the service and honors the sacrifices of all the patriots, men and women, who have ever served in our armed forces. The national ceremony begins at 11:00 am, in Arlington National Cemetery, where a wreath is laid on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and a parade of colors is held by veteran’s organizations.

In communities around the country, we celebrate and honor our veterans by placing flags on veteran’s graves, holding parades and ceremonies, with military exhibits and tributes to individual veterans, and even our youngest citizens participate with “Bring a Veteran to School” days complete with assemblies and lesson plans.

The Columbus Team honors our nation’s veterans this Veteran’s Day, and thanks all of those men and women whose love of country and belief in personal sacrifice for the greater good has led them to serve in the US Armed Forces. While we are dedicated to all of our clients, Veterans hold a special place in our hearts. If you are a Veteran who is looking to buy or sell a home, please stop by or give us a call. It would be our honor to assist you with your real estate needs here in Central Ohio.

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Good eats. Well, where to start might be the question! How about a restaurant chain that in 2010 served up over one million free meals to military veterans and active service members? Uh huh; that would be Applebee’s. On Friday, November 11th Applebee’s will put on a great spread for active-duty service people and military veterans alike, offering seven great entrées (including a 7 oz. House Sirloin, cooked to order, and a great looking penne dish). To qualify, proof of service—such as a U.S. Uniform Services Identification Card, Veterans Organization Card, etc.—is required. If in doubt whether you have the correct kind of indentificaiton, or if you’d simply like to know which Applebee’s locations are involved, please point your browser to Applebee’s.

Chili’s is also offering up something special on November 11th, as they’re making available six different free meals for “military veterans past and present”. This is a dine-in only special (not including beverages and gratuities). Check out their website for locations Chili’s, and of special note—and this is true with any of the restaurants involved in honoring our veterans—that they’re a participating location.

In addition to Applebee’s and Chili’s, Hooters (yes, that Hooters!) has something for Veterans this year too. Hop over to Hooters of Columbus – Polaris, and get in on their all day “Free Wings for Vets” special; just purchase a beverage, and you can 10 free wings. Outback Steakhouse wants to give a big THANK YOU to Vets by offering a free Bloomin’ Onion® and a Coca-Cola. Outback’s offer runs from Monday, November 7 right through Friday, November 11. There are three Outback Steakhouse locations in the Columbus area, so there’s probably one right near you. For more information on what this fine organization does for our service personnel, visit Outback. If you simply want a small treat on Veteran’s Day, hop over to Krispy Kreme for a free doughnut. As with other restaurants and food services, Krispy Kreme asks that you check in advance to make sure the location you go to is participating.

The above is by no means the end of the list of good eats, but we needed to stop there to tell you about at least one other notable offer available on Veteran’s Day, as well as what’s going on in Columbus that day to celebrate our servicewomen and men.

Good deal. Here’s a special deal for “Veterans, active duty, reserve, and retired military personnel and their immediate family members”: a full 10 percent off your entire purchase at Big Lots! And you can cash in on this even on sales or clearance items. This is Big Lots’ massive “gesture of thanks” to all military personnel and veterans. So if you’re in need of a big ticket furniture item, or something to go with it, you probably already know there are several Big Lots locations in the Columbus area. Note that there are couple of locations (for example, the one in Upper Arlington), that don’t carry furniture. But most do, and it’s a terrific way for this corporate citizen to say thank you.

The City of Columbus has a number of special activities planned around the 2011 Veterans Day Ceremony and Parade. Please note that these activities will take place on Thursday, November 10th.

Joining forces with several other notable organizations, including Franklin County Veterans Services, the City’s annual Veterans Day Parade kicks off at Noon at Nationwide Plaza and North High Street. But even before that, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., their Annual Ceremony in observance of Veterans Day takes place, in the Council Chambers (2nd floor, off W. Broad Street). If you plan on attending the celebrations, bring a toy for the Toys for Tots program. Hey, you and the kids might even catch an early glimpse of Santa if you’re there the afternoon of November 10th.

The Columbus Team is proud to salute all of our service people.

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Food Donations

Thank you to everyone who helped fight hunger in our community! Our Pumpkin Give-A-Way, held Saturday, October 15th at COVA in Clintonville, raised food and cash donations for Neighborhood Services, who help local folks in need. Neighborhood Services offers food, clothing, and emergency assistance to our struggling neighbors in the OSU area. Neighborhood Services provided food and emergency help to 9,384 folks in need last year, and 42% of them were children.

The Columbus Team and other cooperating businesses enjoyed giving AND receiving at this event, it was a wonderful and safe way for our families to be involved in helping others this harvest season!

Fun!

Pumpkin Hiders!

No, this one!

With home prices low, and loan rates favorable, it’s a good time to use one of the most valuable benefits earned by our men and women in uniform; the VA Home Loan program. A VA Loan allows you to purchase a home with a loan that is guaranteed by the US government, and is therefore a less expensive option in most cases. VA loans are available for Veterans, Active Duty personnel, Reservists and National Guard members, and some surviving spouses (of personnel who died on Active Duty, or who died of causes directly related to their work on Active Duty). You can find the details of eligibility on the VA website. They also list the exact forms you will need to prove your eligibility, how to apply, and estimate how long it will take to generate and receive those forms.

Even if you’ve used your eligibility before, you may still be able to re-apply for eligibility if your first VA home loan was paid in full or assumed by another Veteran. For details, visit the VA Home Loan FAQ webpage to see if you can reclaim your eligibility for a VA home loan.

As with other VA benefits, eligibility requirements are strict, and using the VA website or office to ensure that you have the right proofs and forms can streamline the process of applying for the loan. When you have the required forms ready, your lender can assist you in applying for eligibility as well as the loan. Any questions? The Columbus Team would love to answer them, and help you find the right home, for the right price, for your needs. It’s an honor and a pleasure to serve our men and women in uniform. Happy Independence Day!

Place your phone numbers on the Do Not Call Registry. Either call 888–382–1222 (from the phone you want to register) or go to www.DoNotCall.gov. After submitting the information, it can take a month to have your number fully registered. Your registration will be effective indefinitely. You can also file complaints against offenders at the web site above. For FAQs about the Do Not Call Registry, click here.

Get rid of some of your spam and junk mail BEFORE it hits your inbox. Want to avoid those sales pitches for insurance, mortgages, credit cards, etc.? Call 888–567–8688 or go to www.OptOutPrescreen.com. This is a site operated by the Consumer Credit Reporting Agencies where you can stop offers coming from banks, insurance companies, and any company that can offer you credit or a financial instrument. Your submission can take two months to fully register, and is available for 5 years or on a permanent basis. You can also contact the site again to opt OUT of the program if you change your mind.

Stop junk mail before it gets delivered to your mailbox. Go to www.DMAchoice.org. Learn about what the DMA does, what you can do to opt out, and what your options are. The Direct Marketing Association also has information relevant to online shopping and other safety considerations as well.

Know your online exposure. Go to www.zabasearch.com and search your name to see what information is out there about you. By typing your name and zip code or phone number, you’re likely to be able to produce a map to your home and can get a security report (at a price) delivered to you. It’s unsettling, but be aware of today’s reality, and take the precautions you feel are needed. Zabasearch does offer a way to block information from THEIR site, but be aware, that does not prevent someone from searching your name elsewhere. Go to their block records page to block their users from searching you.

You can also use a search engine and search on your name to see what others would find. Many times those sources are listed, and if there are errors or info you don’t want displayed, you can contact the source directly to request a change.

We’re very proud to share with our readers that Keller Williams Realty was one of the finalists in Training magazine’s annual list for 2011. It’s not easy to make this list. Some of the factors taken into consideration (by an external research and statistical data company, by Training’s senior editors, and by Training’s Hall of Famers) include:

• Demonstrable results
• Leadership development
• Training budgets
• And many more.

To quote from an article contained in a recent issue of Training, top companies “realize how vital training is to their success and continue to invest in it, even in trying times.” In today’s tough economy, you don’t hear things like that very often. But we heard it, and it was music to our ears.

Want to see who else was on the list for this year’s highest honor? You can read the original announcement here. If you’d like to find out who walked away with the top prize this year, or read more about this, the eleventh year the event has been running, point your browser to Training magazine.

Ah, passion, gifts, and goodies! This special day affords us all a time to step up, do a little something special for those we love, and enjoy the immense smiles all along the way. Want to play? Following are a number of things you can do for this Valentine’s Day. These activities don’t require a lot of preparation, don’t cost much, and many can be done with items available (or easily obtained) in most households. We hope you enjoy them with your partners, the loves of your life, and your families.

Before we get to the goodies, here’s a little background we thought you might be interested in…

There are several legends behind just who this “Valentine” character was. One legend has him as a Priest in third century Rome. He became quite popular (to some) when he secretly married young couples, in opposition to the Emperor’s decree. Another legend says he was an imprisoned man, who fell in love with his jailor’s daughter. Before being executed, he sent a card to his beloved and signed it as “Your Valentine”. Sigh. However you see Valentine’s Day, we hope it’s meaningful to you.

Easy-Make Recipes
By now, you probably have your favorite recipes. They’re tested. Everyone loves them. So we’re not here to tell you about what you already know. But we’ve done a little searching, and we’ve come up with some excellent websites for you check out, a simple recipe based on one from Kraft Foods Inc., and two other quick & simple ideas. Our variation of a time-honored Kraft recipe has been ‘Valentine’s Dayed’ (can we use that term?) for you.

Our version of Kraft’s Cranberry Bark
You’ll need these ingredients:
• 2 packages of Baker’s white chocolate, melted (six squares each)
• 1 cup of dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup slivered or chopped almonds (toast them if you want)
• Red food coloring

How to do it:
• After you melt the chocolate, combine all the ingredients. Note: this is when to add one or two drops (to the extent of pink you like) of the red food coloring, which will add that Valentine’s Day ‘flavor’ to the mix. Then spread onto a waxed-paper covered cookie sheet.
• Refrigerate the mix for about an hour.
• Take it out, and break it into pieces!

TIP: before the Bark gets too hard, use a heart-shaped cookie-cutter to make nice little hearts

Something Fun and Simple you can do with Soup
Heat up some tried and true tomato soup (your recipe, or right out of a can), then use the heart-shaped cookie cutter you used for the Bark to make up some hearts from American cheese slices. The next part is even easier: serve the soup out, and float the heart-shaped cheese on top! (Watch for the TheColumbusteam’s favorite tomato soup recipe coming soon!)

An Applesauce Treat for the Kids (or anyone who feels Like a Kid)

Grab a jar of applesauce, and serve out a few ounces in a bowl. Then outline a heart on top of the apple sauce with Cinnamon Red Hot candies. Yummy!

For more tasty Valentine’s Day recipes, why not visit Kraft’s website or Betty Crocker’s (click on links):

Kraft Foods© – Valentine’s Day Recipes

Betty Crocker® – Valentine’s Day