How To Keep Your Home Pest-Free

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We've had a pesky, yet albeit inconsistent, ant problem for years. They pop up when we least expect them and during times of the year when ants generally shouldn't be invading our home. We've found them everywhere from the kitchen to the bathroom to the master bedroom and places in between.

We've sprayed, placed traps, sprinkled Borax, and tried every other trick in the book. But time and time again, the ants return and are worse than they were before. If you've ever had an ant issue, you know that they are persistent. They don't tire or surrender easily, and often "over the counter" tactics just aren't effective. We had finally had enough when I was in bed reading to find one crawling across my hand. Yuck! Time to call in the pros!

We finally gave up trying to rectify the problem on our own and went in search of a professional pest control service that could help us with this problem once and for all. After much research online and chatting with friends and neighbors in search of recommendations, we discovered that Surf Termite & Pest Control, a local, Jersey-shore based service in Neptune, NJ would be our best bet for successfully helping rid us of our irksome little ant friends.

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Spotlight on the Jersey Shore: Mermaids Masterpiece

Welcome to the very first Spotlight on the Jersey Shore. Each month I will feature a local merchant, artist, product, or service that I love from the Jersey Shore area in hopes of spreading the love to you.

Today's inaugural post features Mermaids Masterpiece, an Etsy shop filled with unique home decor and accessories made from items found along the beautiful beaches of the Jersey Shore. I first came across Mermaids Masterpiece while I was browsing Etsy to put together this post. When I decided to start featuring local merchants, products, services, and artisans, I knew that I wanted Mermaids Masterpiece to be one of the first I showcased.

Jeanette Wehner is the owner of Mermaids Masterpiece and opened her Etsy shop in August 2011 and began creating her driftwood masterpieces in 2013. Jeanette happily agreed to be featured in the very first Spotlight on the Jersey Shore feature, and she has also generously offered a giveaway to the Pieces of a Mom readers (info at the end of this post).

I had the chance to catch up with Jeanette to ask her about the inspiration behind her beautiful, Jersey Shore-inspired creations. Read on to get to know more about Jeanette and Mermaids Masterpiece, and be sure to visit Mermaids Masterpiece on Etsy and enter to win a beautiful driftwood seahorse.

Sheila: I see you opened your shop in August 2011. When did you begin creating your driftwood masterpieces? Had you been creating them for friends and family prior to opening your shop?

Jeanette: Although I opened my Etsy shop in 2011, I did not start making driftwood pieces until 2013. I had come across a driftwood and shell sun catcher online and fell in love with it. I have always enjoyed working with beads, and had a large assortment at home, so I started making the sun catchers and posted them on my Facebook, and the response was overwhelming! However, when I was at the beach collecting the shells and driftwood, I saw that I was passing up beautiful pieces of wood because they were either too large or small, so I began searching for other ways to use them. I started by making letters, and soon after, nautical themed pieces.

Sheila: Are you an artist by trade? Who or what inspired you to open your Etsy shop and begin selling your creations?

Jeanette: I have always been creative, which works well in my position as a Special Education teacher. I am always looking for innovative ways to change things up.

Sheila: What do you love most about living at the Jersey shore? What is your favorite month of the year here, and why?

Jeanette: My favorite thing about living at the beach is searching for unexpected treasures year-round. It is something my whole family loves. While I am walking up at the high-tide line looking for wood, my daughter and her father walk the low tide line looking for sea glass and shells. We have found clay pipes, sea horses, arrowheads and other amazing objects. It is fun wondering where these items came from.

Sheila: Are all of your driftwood and sea glass supplies found on local beaches?

Jeanette: Unlike most driftwood wall decor, my pieces are nail-free, resulting in a more natural appearance. I love color and light and am hoping to start incorporating stained glass into my pieces in the near future.

You can stay in touch with Mermaids Masterpiece by liking the Facebook page.

WIN IT!

Winner Update:
Congratulations to Teri Y.! She is the lucky winner of the driftwood seahorse!

Mermaids Masterpiece is generously offering a Painted Driftwood Seahorse (retail value $30) to one lucky Pieces of a Mom reader.

To enter:

1. Visit the Mermaids Masterpiece shop at Etsy.com. Take a look around at all the amazing creations.

2. Come back to this giveaway post and leave a comment telling me which creation you like the best.

Giveaway will end on Tuesday, April 7th at 9:00 pm ET. The comment thread will be closed at that time. Winner will be chosen using Random.org.

Please note: Winner must be 18 years of age or older and MUST reside within the United States. Mermaids Masterpiece will not ship outside of the US. Once chosen, the winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond to claim the prize and confirm a US mailing address. If chosen winner fails to respond within allotted time frame, an alternate winner will be selected.

Any questions about this giveaway should be directed to piecesofamom {at} gmail {dot} com.

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