Bad Summer Moments: TalkLocal Can Help

Wednesday, June 18th, 2014

It’s the summer, you’ll be working, you’ll find time to relax, it’ll be nice…until something ridiculously uncalled for occurs. That’s where TalkLocal can help. Here are a few examples of potential bad summer moments (which we hope never happen to you):

Fruit punch all over the floor: And the cream colored carpet is completely stained. You try to save it by dabbing at it, but no use, and you swear it looks even worse. Carpet repair is one of the many services that TalkLocal can help get for you.

Air conditioning stops working during the hottest day: Wow. That would absolutely suck. Just imagining the stickiness in the air and the inability to move without needing a fan or water makes me want winter back. Luckily, if this happens, you can request an immediate A/C repairman from TalkLocal. We will take your specifics (time, place, A/C info) and connect you to the best fitting company to fix your problem. This will take 90 seconds of your time and the company will send someone to give you back your cool air.

Window breaks: Help! All the mosquitos are coming in! The worst is when you wake up in the morning and find a giant mosquito bite right on your face. Ugh! Let’s prevent this and connect you to a window repair company via TalkLocal.

Hurt your back: Guess you shouldn’t have dove into the pool with the kids! But it’s nothing a little massage therapy can’t help. With different therapists of different hours, submit your specific schedule into TalkLocal’s form and we’ll get you set up and fixed quickly.

TalkLocal understands how crazy life can get and while we hope you remain lucky over the summer, we will be here for you when times get rough.

Posted in Seva Call, talklocal | No Comments »

5 Ways to Bond with Your Dad this Father’s Day

Sunday, June 15th, 2014

Written by Ezra Schwartz

Your dad has always been there for you. Whether he was playing catch with you for the first time or, dressed as a princess, enduring your tea party, he’s always been around to put a smile on your face. Even if he didn’t want to be there, even if he had work to do, even if there was a game on, Dad was always there to do what you love.

Which is why the most important thing to do this Father’s Day is to return the favor and spend time with Dad. Sure, you can still buy him a tie, watch, grill spatula, or any other cliched gift, but what Dad really wants is your time. Here are 5 ways that you can bond with your dad on June 15th, and make it the best Father’s Day he’s ever had.

5. Spend it Outdoors!

The wonderful thing about Father’s Day is that it takes place in mid-June, the ideal time for outdoor activities. Whether this means going to the beach, having a picnic in the park, taking a hike in the woods, or just having a nice barbecue, make sure to take advantage of the beautiful weather.

4. Make His Favorite Food

Whether your dad was the one who cooked in your house or not, he will definitely appreciate a meal with his favorite dish. It might mean going out to a fancy restaurant, or staying in and cooking yourself, but either way, it is a gesture that your father will love.

3. Go to a Baseball Game

What better bonding activity is there than baseball? For over a century, dads have been taking their sons and daughters out to the old ballgame. It’s a classic way to spend the day, and if he loves the food at the park, this one can combine the previous two tips!

2. Bring Your Kids!

While Dad may love spending time with you, chances are he loves spending time with your kids, as well. This day is not only about cherishing old memories, but about creating new ones, and there is no better way of doing that than with the new generation. Dad loves his grandkids and they love him, so whatever you do, be sure to bring them along!

1. Just Do What He Loves!

You know your dad better than we do, so you know best how to make his day perfect! Dad has something that he loves to do, and whatever it is, just do that with him. Even (and especially) if that means just sitting on the couch with a beer and watching the game or his favorite movie, make sure that Dad can do what he wants, and make sure to do it with him!

Whatever you do this Father’s Day, make sure that everything is working in the house. It wouldn’t be fun if the TV, computer, or air conditioning didn’t work. You can also make sure that the lawn looks perfect, and that all of Dad’s Sunday chores are done.

We here at TalkLocal would like to wish a Happy Father’s Day to all of the dads out there! Thank you for all that you do!

Tags: bonding, family, Father's day, holiday
Posted in Seva Team, talklocal | No Comments »

National Gardening Exercise Day: June 6th

Friday, June 6th, 2014

Written by Marianne Zhao

National Gardening Exercise Day: June 6th - Seva Call

June, the lovely month when the flowers bloom and the weather is ideal for days spent at the pool and outside. June also happens to be the month of National Gardening Exercise Day (June 6th, to be exact).

What is this strange holiday?

Well, although it’s not as well known as July 4th or Labor Day, National Gardening Exercise Day is important to those who value the outdoors and personal health. It celebrates gardeners who want to stay in shape, combining aerobic movement with tending to plants.

If you fall in the category of an aerobic gardener or just want to hear more about this intriguing holiday, here are some typical activities done on National Gardening Exercise Day:

– Stretch before heading out into the garden (it is important that your muscles are warm)

– Alternate your movements; raking, mowing, weeding, digging, etc. Change it up every 15 minutes or so

– Add physical challenges:

> squat while hoeing or weeding (be careful if you have bad knees)

> lunge and weed (don’t forget to switch legs)

> sit and weed (use your upper body to twist and stretch)

> don’t bend from your back, bend from the knees!

> remember to alternate your balance from left to right

How will you celebrate?

If this holiday shows you that you want to get in shape or add some new things to your garden, but you want to hit the gym and leave the gardening to a professional, TalkLocal has a wide network of personal trainers and landscapers. Submit a request at www.talklocal.com and get connected in seconds. Hope you enjoy this unique holiday!

Posted in Landscapers, Personal Trainers, talklocal | No Comments »

Summer How-To: How to Brighten Up a Room

Wednesday, June 4th, 2014

Many of us are not able to leave the house and vacation in the tropical islands of the Maldives over the summer, but that doesn’t mean our home has to feel like a dark box trapping us May through August. With help from a few tools, or even a handyman if you are unable to find the time to do so yourself, here’s how to brighten up a room for the summer:

Walls: Go for light colors, such as white or an off-white shade. If you don’t feel like painting all the walls white, you can definitely opt to paint one wall as an “accent wall”. If the room has big windows, this can help reflect the natural light when it enters the room, brightening the entire room.

Decor: To contrast the white walls, go for a pop of color with your decor. Colorful vases, coasters, or trinkets set around the room can make the room feel brighter and even happier. You can decide to take the neon route (neon greens, blues, pinks) or traditional bright colors (teal, cyan, magenta, etc). For your windows, keep it simple with white blinds and if you want curtains, minimize and emphasize the natural light.

Furniture: The style of furniture in your newly brightened room is pretty flexible. Some may want a more beachy feel, going for wicker style chairs and wood colors with white accents. Some may want to continue with the color scheme of the decor and choose colored sofas and pillows. (Tip: To not only brighten your room but make it seem larger, aim for furniture with a minimalist silhouette and/or low sitting profiles.)

Remember that you are not alone in this process, TalkLocal is here to help you find a handyman, painter, or window replacement company at a moment’s notice!

Tags: decor, home improvement, paint, remodel
Posted in Seva Call, talklocal | No Comments »

Summer How-To: How to Add Color to Your Garden All Summer

Thursday, May 15th, 2014

When you’re having people over this summer, maybe for that annual July 4th barbecue, you want your home to be at its prime. No more relatives coming over saying the grass on the front lawn is too long or that your garden is looking subpar. There are five summer flowers that will add that pop of color to your garden and will keep accentuating your home until the season ends. Here they are in all their colorful glory:

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1) “Goblin” Blanket Flower: This red, yellow, and maroon flower blooms June to August and is one tough flower. It can withstand hot and dry soil, poor soil, as well as seaside weather and soil conditions. This flower does need full sunlight to properly bloom and develop.

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2) Red Valerian: This flower varies in color from a pink to a lilacy-red to a strong red. It blooms in late June to August and again to frost. It is easy to maintain, being able to endure any condition except wet/boggy shade. It needs full sun to partial shade in order to properly live.

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3) “Moonbeam” Threaded Coreopsis: This bright yellow flower blooms from June to frost and is beautiful in its daintiness but colorful presence in the garden. It needs full sun to partial shade.

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4) “Pink Jewel” Daisy Fleabane: A bright pink flower with a yellow center that blooms June to September. It is truly a low maintenance plant as it requires full sun and can withstand light shade.

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5) “Hidcote” English Lavender: This tall deep blue-purple flower blooms from June to August and requires full sun. For this plant, too much moisture is a problem, so make sure the area you wish to plant it has good drainage.

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We hope you are able to plant these beautiful flowers to add some color to your garden for the entire summer! If you enjoyed this summer how-to, be sure to check out talklocal’s blog or Pinterest account for more helpful tips.

Posted in Seva Team, talklocal | No Comments »

Seva Call Arrives in Arlington

Wednesday, May 14th, 2014

We are now welcoming our 7th Texas city into the Seva Call network, and it just so happens to be the 7th most populated city in Texas: Arlington. Arlington is unique, like any city, having its own infamous landmarks and a certain culture to call its own.

For Arlington, there is the original Six Flags, aka Six Flags Over Texas. The city also boasts its unprecedented bowling culture, being home to the International Bowling Hall of Fame, the United States Bowling Congress (how cool is that?), and the International Bowling Museum. Seva Call is excited to explore this incredible city, and most importantly, is excited to help accommodate the many people living in Arlington.

What Seva Call Does for Arlington

If you don’t already know, Seva Call is a company that helps ease the process of finding a service such as a plumber, handyman, or even massage therapist. We know that in order to find a service that you rarely have to use, you probably Google some keywords and make sure a company is credible based off of ratings. Then, you need to call and schedule appointments, and this could take some time and get frustrating. By shortening the process for you with our own algorithm, Seva Call enables you to be matched with a specific service provider that fits your schedule and needs. To see how it all works, you can check out this short video.

You’ll find that in just 90 seconds, you will receive a phone call from Seva Call connecting you to just one service provider on the other line. Chances are, this company we connect you to is the one you end up working with, and all you had to do was fill in a simple request form!

Arlington, we are ready to help you save a call, with Seva Call.

Tags: small business
Posted in Seva Call | No Comments »

Mother’s Day: The 3 Gifts Moms Cherish The Most

Thursday, May 8th, 2014

Written by Dallea Caldwell

Moms are our biggest fans, our toughest critics, and our most loyal friends. To most of us, they are literally our angels on Earth. To many, speaking ill of someone’s mother is worse than burning the flag, blaspheming, and talking politics at the dinner table, combined.

That’s what makes Mother’s Day feel so impossible. There isn’t a dollar amount or grand gesture big enough to match what moms mean to us. Of course, if you offer to feed and clothe her in her senile years, and agree to an arranged marriage, and commission a mural of your most adorable baby bath-time pictures in Times Square, as well as make your firstborn her namesake, then that would be a start. But, such is the beauty of a mother’s love that she would settle for a lot less this Mother’s Day.

Here are the 3 Gifts Moms Cherish The Most:

1. Your Time:

You want to feel like you have your own life? Look who’s talking. You weren’t the one who spent 9-15 months sharing all of your bodily nutrients with another being. No offense, but your mom was sick as a dog for weeks while her immune system was literally trying to decide whether or not to eliminate you. So, you want your own life. Yeah, she totally gets it. But, when you get her flowers, can you bring them yourself? Or, if her flowers must come by delivery, can they at least come with a phone call?

No matter what you do or what you can afford to give, your presence is her most precious gift. So, if she can’t at least borrow you every once in a while, she’ll be nothing but thoroughly disappointed with even the most expensive gifts.

2. Your Thoughtfulness:

If your mom wanted a kid who tries to impress her with the same handful of tricks, then she would have had a puppy. So, if you have a go-to gift that you know she’ll like, think harder and go for the unexpected. What do you know that she thinks you don’t know? Maybe she winces while doing the gardening, a clear giveaway of the back pain she tries to hide — then a massage therapy and spa day is surely in order. A gift that shows not only that you were thinking of her, but that you’ve been paying attention too, is sure to wow her.

3. Your Shared Memories:

One surefire way to tug at those heart strings is to take your mom on a trip down the old memory lane. Make a collage or a digital slideshow of your favorite memories together, or renew that annual picnic tradition you secretly always loved — even though you suddenly became too cool for it in high school. If you’ve become a parent yourself and are a fan of the Instagram trend, have a professional photographer help you and your child recreate classic family photos from when you were his or her age. Drawing inspiration from your shared experiences is the best way to connect your Mother’s Day celebrations to exactly what it is you’re celebrating: a very special kind of love.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there!

And remember: TalkLocal can help with lots of last minute planning for things like florists, limousine service, or spas. Just visit www.talklocal.com, input the job details, and stand by to hea r from a local service provider in minutes.

Posted in talklocal | No Comments »

HVAC System Average Cost Guide

Thursday, May 1st, 2014

With summer coming in fast, any problems you may have had before with your heating, ventilation and air conditioning units must be fixed before the sweltering heat kicks in or the cool summer storms hit hard. Before calling the number of the first HVAC company that pops up on the Internet, it is important to know where you are at economically.

Beauty queen of only 18, she had some trouble with herself…I was always there to help her; she always belonged to someone else. Oh, I drove for miles and miles and wound up at your door…but, somehow, I want more!

Here are some quick price guidelines based off of the national average:

Repairing an A/C Unit: $545 Installing an A/C Unit: $6,269

Installing Insulation: $1,965 Installing Ducts & Vents: $1,490

Repairing a Heat Pump: $537 Installing a Heat Pump: $5,832

Repairing a Ceiling Fan: $176 Installing a Ceiling Fan: $337

Starting with this guide, and if you have a specific job in mind, you can request an estimate or quote from a company before you get the job done. talklocal can help you find the perfect company at your request by narrowing down the companies we have available, according to your specific needs and schedule.

Posted in Heating and Cooling | No Comments »

Ready to Take the Plunge? Consider Installing a Glass Walled Swimming Pool

Wednesday, April 9th, 2014

It’s the dream of many a new home owner to complete the picturesque yard with your very own pool. Catering for exercise enthusiasts, groups of giggling children, and party guests the swimming pool add a whole new level of functionality to a property adding to its value and desirability whilst cutting family expenses on trips to the public pool or pricey water parks.

Glass Walled Swimming Pools

One of the best designs has to be the glass walled swimming pool. Just think of the great action photos you can capture without an underwater camera. So, if you’re thinking about taking the plunge and installing a pool, consider the glass walled designs.

Undeniably, pools enhance the view of anybody’s house and make it more inviting to the guests, especially when it also allows viewing the surroundings whilst swimming or view happy swimmers under the water. Pools with glass windows have gained popularity globally for their great aesthetics and entertainment value.

The style of pool you choose is dependent on many factors but if children are likely to use the pool, a glass walled installation is recommended. Giving a much clearer observation of the swimmers, glass walled pools are much safer and should a problem occur it may be spotted earlier on, saving lives.

One overlooked benefit of a transparent pool is that it allows for better observation for coaching young swimming learners. Having a great view of your student moving through the water can hugely benefit the constructive feedback you give.

Let’s take a look at the benefits:

1. Safety

2. A better view of both the interior and the exterior of the pool

3. Quicker installation

4. Easier to clean

5. Modern look and feel

6. Provides diving coaches an unobstructed view

7. It makes smaller pools look spacious as it introduces more light

8. An elegant and stunning appeal

9. Easy to facilitate video/photographing underwater

10. Provides a new and exciting swimming experience

Professional Installation

The certified engineers at Premium Pools can assist you in choosing the right design, measurement and glass thickness. You can also add exciting water features to make your swimming experience more enjoyable.

Premium Pools has an extremely high customer satisfaction rate and offers warranty and after sales support. So, call now or visit the website at www.premierpools.com.au.

For any questions regarding installation or maintenance of a swimming pool, use TalkLocal to be connected with a reliable professional in your area in just minutes.

Tags: landscape, outdoors, pool
Posted in Handyman | No Comments »

Car Cleaning DIY

Friday, April 4th, 2014

Now that the snow is gone for the next several months (hopefully), it’s time to give your car that perfect shine for spring! This is the perfect way to spend a nice afternoon outside, without spending a whole lot of money. Learn some great tips for cleaning your car without leaving water marks, soap deposits, or scratches on the paint.

Car Cleaning DIY Guide

Check out this great car cleaning DIY guide!

And don’t forget, if you would like a professional car wash for your vehicle, just use TalkLocal. We’ll connect you with up to three car wash services in your area directly. Leave the searching to TalkLocal!