Isobel and her teammates
The New Jersey State Triathlon
The New Jersey State Triathlon is the premiere and largest triathlon in the State. It was held this past weekend in the Mercer County area. The triathlon consists
of a swim in Mercer Lake followed by the bike race through West Windsor Township. The run is along the water on paved trails and shaded wood areas to an unforgettable 200 yard dash to finish. The race attracts Pro’s, Elite and age group triathletes both nationally and internationally and yes our own Isobel DeRusha from the NT Callaway Real Estate Marketing Department.
This year it took place on two days offering an entire weekend of triathlon and festival-style activities. The sprint distance was on July 24th and the Olympic distance was on July 25th. Isobel participated in the Olympic distance as part of a relay team with 2 other women, where she did the swim portion of the race. Their team came in first for the Olympic Triathlon Relay race.
Congratulations to Isobel and her teammates for a fantastic job!
New Jersey State Triathlon
An indoor basketball court, lit tennis court and pool…
At once spacious and elegant, yet approachable and relaxed, this one-of-a-kind residence has a central courtyard, pitched shingled roof and substantial wood accents. An idyllic 2.7-acre setting enhances the Old World country romance unexpectedly found within a prestigious Princeton community known as The Preserve. Privacy is further enhanced by adjacent protected, wooded open space. Inside, spaces flow one into the other, while, outside, a vast wraparound deck is the perfect vantage point to oversee activities around the black bottom pool, lit tennis court and wooded paths below. An indoor basketball court with viewing loft and sauna means foul weather won’t dampen the fun. Entertainment of a more sophisticated variety can take place in the living room, where beams span the vaulted ceiling and three sets of French doors usher in light. A two-sided fireplace also warms the library, where custom finished paneled walls incorporate hidden storage, digital surround sound theater and a game alcove. Built-ins of handsome ash outfit an adjoining office. The central corridor also opens to the formal dining room and a family room with sliding barn doors for optional privacy. The generous European-style kitchen opens to a sunroom and second office. A first floor guest suite with its own entrance enjoys the utmost privacy. Three modern baths serve four upper level bedrooms, all with cedar closets. A lavishly equipped, sun-flooded bath swathed in green marble serves the master with deck and skylit dressing room. This mecca for relaxation and recreation is newly wired throughout to incorporate an audio system and custom lighting scheme with one-of-a-kind fixtures.
http://164highland.ntcallaway.com
A Spectacle In Spring
May 20, 2010
By Heidi Dittloff
Year after year, 25,000 bulbs scattered across 9+ acres announce the arrival of spring, the perfect time to explore the woodlands surrounding the custom-built house at 1064 Great Road. A gated drive culminates in a courtyard above the main entrance. Around back, a terrace spans the entire width of the house with French doors opening to a paneled study, the two-story living room, the jewel-toned dining room and the open gourmet kitchen and family room, each with a fireplace and extensive built-ins. Below are a home gym, wine cellar and media/billiards room with banquette seating. Follow the wide staircase up to a library loft and three luxurious bedroom suites. The master features equally elegant his and hers baths with expertly planned custom closets. A cheerful princess suite and a suite with fireplace and mosaic tiled bath are the ultimate in comfort. A self-sufficient loft apartment with wood stove and rich wood accents is perfect for private guest quarters or a home office.
$3,900,000 Marketed by Christina Callaway and Norman “Pete” Callaway
Visit the Property Website for 1064 Great Road
Composting
By Heidi Dittloff
Composting – time to get outside. The warm air is finally in NJ.
Composting Information
Green Tips
By Heidi Dittloff
Top 5 Tips for Greening Your Lawn
Great Link for tips on outside gardening.
5 Tips for Greening your Lawn
The Green True or False Test; What does it Mean to be Green?
Question 2Â Â
I had my energy company inspect my home to tell me how I can improve my home’s Energy Ratings.  They made a list. I couldn’t afford to do everything, but I began with changing all my light bulbs to compact fluorescents. Even though this is a small act, it is a Green act. True or False
Energystar Recommendations
Answer -
I began with changing all my light bulbs to compact fluorescents. Even though this is a small act, it is a Green act.
This was a trick question. Did you get fooled? While replacing all your light bulbs with compact fluorescents would be True, a good place to start, I would argue that throwing away perfectly good light bulbs that are currently working would not be very Green at all. Remember, Reduce must be one of your top priorities. My recommendation would be to replace old bulbs once they’ve blown-out.  So, depending upon how this homeowner replaced his bulbs, it could have been TRUE, a Green choice, or if he threw away perfectly good light bulbs… then it’s the buzzer for you, FALSE, not so much.
Below are the 4 R’s of Green building. This was submitted to me by Sheri Oshins.Â
Green Building– utilizes innovative design as well as time-tested practices with the utmost desire to produce energy efficient, sustainable designs with minimal impact on the environment. At its grandest level, it is solar power, geothermal cooling, and positioning a house and its windows in order to optimize its passive solar heat gain. But at its most basic level, it’s reducing waste, reusing materials, and repurposing existing spaces.
How We Live, Build, and Remodel with the Four R’s of Green Building:
The Four R’s: reduce, reuse, repurpose, recycle, have a cyclical relationship. Each facet triggers the next like a stone causes ripples in a pond.
- Reduce – When building or remodeling reduce the amount of trash created by recycling any materials that can be recycled, or donating any materials that can be reused.
-  Reuse – Using reclaimed wood, antique glass, or vintage doors, will not only reduce the amount of trash in our landfills, but add character and charm to your home.
-  Repurpose – When an existing space is repurposed, surprising results can be obtained. An old church can become a distinct home. An old steel mill can become lavish condos, a garage can become a family room, or an attic can become a home office.
- Recycle – When we hear this word, we mostly think of recycling our glass, plastic, newspapers, and cardboard. But recycling can be instrumental to Green Building. Old blue jeans become insulation. Tires become roofing material. Recycled glass becomes gorgeous counters and flooring. Additionally, many Green Builders today pride themselves on their new treatment of waste on the job site, thereby reducing what ends up in our land fills.
Green Building is sustainable. Green Building is energy efficient. Green Building is eco-friendly. Green Building is low carbon emission producing. Green Building reduces, reuses, re-purposes, recycles… Green Building is Now.
Sorry for not posting in a bit. I am back on track now and will continue my posts here and if I move them to another site I will let you know.
Now to Answer our True and False Test
If you just remember to always Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, you will always be better off. So keeping that in mind…
1. I ripped up all my oak flooring and laid down bamboo (1) instead. This is very Green of me! True or False
I ripped up all my oak flooring and laid down bamboo flooring instead. If you said this is True, you might be wrong depending on where you live. In fact, if you consider most bamboo (1) comes from Asia, the cost of the fuel to ship this material to the United States can far exceed its good qualities. Secondly, why get rid of oak floors just to have bamboo? This doesn’t make any sense at all. If the oak floors are very badly worn and in need of repair, why not just sand them and refinish them? This is a far better Green choice. However, if you really do need to replace your oak floors, consider donating them to someone who can Reuse them. At least they won’t end up in our landfills. And instead of using bamboo, since this is not a locally grown product, consider using reclaimed wood floors instead. Remember, the first choice for Green homeowners, must be to Reuse what you already have. So, I am afraid, my friend, this one was FALSE, not a Green act at all.
(1) Bamboo Flooring
Deciding to Greenify your home is a commitment to yourself, your family, your community, and the environment. But what exactly does this mean? Simply put, it means you are going forth in the best way you can to conserve water, energy, and cause as little harm to the environment as possible.
Going Green is today’s hot issue but it leaves many of us confused and overwhelmed, wondering where to begin and what being Green is really all about. Perhaps Kermit was right; It’s not easy being green.
Does going Green mean I need solar or wind energy? Will I need to replace all my flooring with bamboo? Maybe I should only buy locally made products… drive a hybrid… or eat only organic foods.
To help get on your way with Living Green, take our True or False Test. We will post a question a week for 5 weeks. At the end we will have a Bonus Question on week 6.
Now to Answer our True and False Test
If you just remember to always Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, you will always be better off. So keeping that in mind, let’s begin…
1. I ripped up all my oak flooring and laid down bamboo instead. This is very Green of me! True or False
Hint: Bamboo Flooring
