Tara "The Librarian" B.'s Profile

This was my very first housecleaning experience, so I was a little nervous, but it was a great experience!

I purchased a coupon online for a discounted cleaning and wasn't sure what to expect. Scheduling the service was quick and easy. The ladies showed up early and thoroughly cleaned the kitchen, bathroom, living, room, dining room and bedroom top to bottom and did a great job! They were very friendly, efficient and professional. I appreciated how they asked questions about what I wanted and put me at ease. They did what would take me a whole day in just an hour and a half! Even my husband, who has very high standards of cleaning, was impressed.

I have already called to set up another appointment!

We recently bought our first house and with it came a few trees that were in serious need of some immediate TLC. Luckily, we met Jonathan of Alpine Tree & Shrub Care! Jonathan provides free estimates and the deal was simply too good to pass up!

The first patient has been the gigantic tree out front. There were several dead branches that threatened to fall any moment. The whole thing required tons of work. A team of three arrived perfectly on time and they unfurled their ladders and attached their climbing gear and got right to work.

After about an hour and a half, the tree looked like something from a children's book where cookie baking elves lived instead of a tale of horror where trees eat people. In addition to the great work, I was really impressed with how well the team cleaned up after. Every stray branch and leaf were picked up and removed.

Because there are other trees that I need to have removed in the backyard, I feel secure knowing that when the time comes, it is going to be done in a way that exceeds my expectations and improves our property value without draining the bank account!

If someone tells you that buying a house is walk in the park, they are lying to you. Buying a house is a important decision, and as a librarian, one that I feel deserves a wide range of research and information gathering. The best first step is finding a reliable and trustworthy real estate agent to guide you in the process. In this regard, we were very lucky to find Tina Wilson and engage her as our agent. From the first day we met, I instinctively trusted Tina. A straight-shooter, she let us know about the ins and outs of becoming a homeowner and gave us the means to figure out if this was the time for us to buy our first house.

As it was our first house, my husband and I knew nothing about the process. And no matter how many books I checked out from the library and poured over at home, my head spun at the prospect. Tina was the cat's pajamas, taking us gently by the hand and helping us understand the fundamental process of buying a home. In addition to offering a class to first time home buyers, we were also given a binder to collect our information and review at our leisure. We were also fortunate enough to be connected with a Mortgage Broker through Tina that was also a pleasure to work with.

The next step was house shopping. House shopping could be a tedious process, but not with Tina! Her excellent searching skills gotten us closer to our dream home with each visit. In addition to her pleasant demeanor that made her a joy to ride around the city with, she also brought snacks! Scheduling with her was a dream! Her availability and communication skills were top notch and made the whole house shopping experience a pleasure.

Closing can be the hardest part of the whole process. If you don't have a real estate agent who knows what they are doing, you can end up losing the house over a technicality or end up pulling out your hair out of frustration. We wouldn't have made it through without Tina. Even when my husband and I did not quite see eye-to-eye, she delicately and professionally advised us on how we could both meet our goals in finding our dream home.

We have been living in our house for a few months now, and every day we fall in love with it a little more. We could not have achieved our dream of owning our own home without her help. The improvement to our lives is immeasurable. She even went the extra mile making our house into our home by organizing a house warming party for us! If you are looking for a real estate agent that is dependable, knowledgeable, personable, communicative and tenacious, I recommend Tina wholeheartedly.

Beautifully blending salty and sweet on premium meats in crusty rolls, The Uber Sausage is a great new addition to my dining repertoire. Whether you try the smoked kielbasa topped with BBQ sauce and apple coleslaw, the bacon-wrapped bison dog or even a "plain ole" bison hot dog with ketchup and mustard, or any of their other signature dishes, a meal here is very satisfying. Their freshly fried chips are also perfectly prepared and lovely to wolf down.

My only request, and I am sure they will hear it from several other devotees, they must get some sauerkraut, pronto. I love their special blends of flavors that add up to a unique dish, but for many, sausage isn't sausage without the kraut. Get the kraut, get 5 stars. I say this not as one that eats sauerkraut, because I don't, but because I love many people who would rail against its absence and I couldn't bring them here until the kraut is in the house.

Holy Savings on Light Fixtures, Batman! I felt like a kid in a candy store shopping for more fitting fixtures for my new place. I was totally blown away by the number of items for sale and at such amazing prices!

The clearance corner at the back of the store was completely jaw-dropping. Ceiling fans were only $15. They had several difference versions, sizes and models. We purchased 3 monster 5-blade fans that work great.

In addition to the ceiling fans, I also picked out a sconce light and a beautiful pendant fixture to hang above the kitchen sink. 5 fixtures, plus light bulbs, and I only had to pay $150! I will definitely be back and look forward to finding new treasures to grace my new home!

It was tricky to find but absolutely worth the time and effort. This place is almost too great to Yelp about. Having the place to myself when shopping there made it feel like my private lighting heaven.

Maybe I watch too much HGTV, but I was very nervous when we got to the inspection portion of our new home search and acquisition. Having a good inspector who knows what they are doing can make all the difference in the world between buying your Dream Home and a Money Pit. All I knew to look for was someone who was certified, would take a few hours and came with a ladder and a set of tools. Taking a look at a few websites online, I saw a significant difference between the reports provided.

We chose AIM and I'm glad we did. Responsive, prompt and knowledgeable, Don answered all of our questions and more. Walking us through the areas where we knew absolutely nothing, we learned a great deal about home ownership, maintenance and energy efficiency. Not only did he provide great service, he labeled all of our internal utility valves and switches as part of the job.

After the inspection, he walked us through everything he found and gave us a binder with all of his notes and more! A few days later, we received our official report with even more information and pictures of areas to keep an eye on! There were no surprises as we had talked everything over, but the additional color coding on areas of concern was a great way to present the information!

Reasonable prices and great services from a trustworthy individual - what more could you ask for? I feel confident making the investment in a new home that will house my loved ones now!

Santiago's is a delicious refuge for a Mexican food lover like myself. Whether you are looking to eat-in or get your grub to go, you will be glad you stopped by.

The helpings are heaping, the service is excellent and the prices are very reasonable. I *love* that they call me "miha" - it makes me feel very welcome and at home. I also love that they will give you both green and red chile or even half medium and half hot chile.

The seating inside can be tight, much like the parking, but it is well worth it. The deliciousness well outweighs any inconvenience.

The atmosphere and the reviews had me geared up for not only a great meal, but a fantastic dining experience as well. With the exception of the fortune cookie dipped in white chocolate, I was thoroughly underwhelmed.

Surprised that my meal somehow managed to be flavorless and salty, I dipped into my pal's meals to see if I was the only one. Unfortunately not. We left, meals unfinished. No need for leftovers. The bill was costly and my tummy still rumbling. I left unsatisfied.

The best possible thing this particular location could do to improve its service would be to improve in regards to efficiency and customer service. While standing in the incredibly long line, you will notice your order and several others going "into the red" on the screens, which means that your order is taking far too long to get to you. When this happens, as it always does, you get no apology.

Why continue going to a place that is so frustrating that sometimes you have to leave before even placing your order? There are limited quick breakfast oriented eateries nearby - thus the long lines. I've been to other locations that were far more streamlined and friendly and still able to make a sandwich.

Will I be back? Oh, probably. I just won't be too happy about it.

This Fedex Kinko's saved me from a jam! I needed a box full of copies in a hurry in the middle of the night for the presentation the next day and was grateful for their services.

I was able to upload the file from home so everything was ready and waiting for me when I got there. Almost $80 and an hour later, I was able to get a good night's sleep knowing I was set for the next day.