By Chris Balzer, Mom’s Earth Day? Sounds made up, right?  Earth Day was April 22nd and Mother’s Day is May 14th, only 21 days apart so I thought I would combine the two and make Mom’s Earth Day.  Here at ECES, everyday is Earth Day, we increase comfort and lower CO2 emissions saving the planet one home at a time, and perhaps maybe everyday should be Mother’s day.  With these two great holidays so close together, I had to offer suggestions more than just flowers and home-made cards for mom this Spring. Air condition is vital, the States are getting warmer and we want mom to be comfortable.  When you’re over, change the air condition filter.  Clogged filters cause strain on the system and can lead to more service calls, costing mom money.  Many HVAC professionals suggest using the less expensive filters to allow more air flow and efficiency.  These filters do need to be changed more often but cost less.  After replacing the air filter you can pour distilled vinegar down the condensate drain line to remove mildew and grime from the line, also extending time between service calls.  If you are uncomfortable or unfamiliar with this process, consult a professional.  Be sure to dust HVAC vents and fans, these areas build up dust quickly and could be hurting the circulation of airflow as well. What better way to show your mother love than with savings on energy costs.  One of the easiest ways to save energy is to... Read More

 By Donna Daugherty,  Hiring a professional designer is something to consider if you’re building a home, you’ve just purchased a home, or if your home needs a much-needed update or refresh. They can help you make smart decisions on how to maximize your budget and create the perfect finishing touches that make your home a real showcase. Whether you don’t know how to begin to decorate your home, you have an idea but need help tying pieces together, or you simply haven’t the time to execute your personal style because of your busy schedule, utilizing a designer just makes sense! Here are five reasons why you should consider working with a designer: 1: Save You Money – It might sound funny that hiring someone to help you decorate your home would save you money since you have the additional fee of the designer, however, a designer can help you avoid costly mistakes and help you maximize the value of your home. When planning design, you need to think about textures, materials, cohesion, architecture, cost, durability, space efficiency, scalability, functionality, layout and so many more considerations. Especially when selling your home – interior design is essential when listing your home. It can help boost buyer appeal and set your home above the competition. 2: Professional Assessment – A designer can give you a professional assessment of your situation, that will lead to a solid plan of action. The order of things in a design plan is key in determining what can... Read More

 By Maurice Stouse,  Financial Advisor and Branch Manager   Many researchers and writers have often reflected on a topic known as behavioral finance (BF). Quite simply it is what impact do personal cognitive biases have when making investing decisions. It is an important concept to consider as ultimately investment decisions are made based upon what we believe, learn, hope and fear. Our biases tend to limit our ability to make purely rational decisions. Media can influence these biases. While there are multiple biases investors should be aware of (lest they make poor investment and financial decisions), we will focus on three very common ones. Let’s explore them. Confirmation bias is first among these. We are all prone to confirmation bias. It impacts professionals as well as individual investors. Essentially, confirmation bias means seeing or hearing a story or reading information that confirms what we already believe and placing a high degree of value in it. Next is loss aversion or myopic loss aversion. This happens when investors fear losses more than they get pleasure from market gains. In other words, investors are far more likely to give higher priority to avoiding losses than making money. Thirdly, is something called herding (or bandwagon effect). Herd behavior is when people mimic the financial behaviors of most of the herd. Herding is notorious in the stock market as the cause of dramatic rallies and sell-offs. It can create asset bubbles; think of the tech bubble in the late 90s or the housing market... Read More

 Join the Cultural Arts Alliance on Wednesday, May 11th for an evening to benefit the Underwater Museum of Art (UMA). The annual Under The Sea UMA Fundraiser takes place at Grand Park in the heart of Grand Boulevard in South Walton, Florida from 6 – 9PM. Guests are invited to view several of the UMA sculptures, enjoy a full cash bar with specialty cocktails, meet and greet with the artists, and taste featured items from popular area restaurants and celebrated chefs. Purchase tickets and learn more: https://www.culturalartsalliance.com/event-details/under-the-sea-2 Enjoy live musical entertainment from opening act Stormfolk followed by headliners, The Cleverlys! The Cleverlys are a one-of-a-kind comedy/music blend. They tour nationally, performing at music venues, PAC’S, and some of the nation’s largest festivals like Stagecoach, Telluride, CMA Music Fest and even The Grand Ole Opry. The UMA is a presentation of the CAA’s ‘Art in Public Spaces’ program in partnership with South Walton Artificial Reef Association (SWARA) with the purpose to create marine habitat and expand fishery populations while providing enhanced creative, cultural, economic and educational opportunities for the benefit, education and enjoyment of residents, students and visitors in South Walton. Visit www.culturalartsalliance.com for more information. The post Underwater Museum of Art  Annual Fundraiser May 11th appeared first on South Walton Life | 30A News, Events and Community Information.  Read More

 By Stephenie Craig, LCSW A few months ago, I found my brain scattered, tired, and generally tense. When I slowed to reflect I realized I was carrying stress outside my awareness. Juggling work, home, parenting, relationships, life transitions, emails, texts, news, professional research, social media, etc. was overwhelming my brain. These activities weren’t unhealthy, but the output of my life was out of balance. I took a social media break and noticed quickly I felt better. That break has become a more permanent practice as I’ve remembered that what we put in, our life input, significantly impacts how we show up daily in life, our life output. Do you ever find yourself trying to make an external change and it just isn’t working? Maybe you’re trying to reduce stress, increase joy, improve a relationship, or live less overwhelmed. You may keep trying to make adjustments to the output of your life without slowing down to consider how the input might need to be adjusted. In reality, true change happens from the inside out. In our fast, achievement-focused, entertainment-hungry culture, it’s easy to become desensitized to anxiety-inducing input available daily. You wake up to news, social media, political commentary. You are inundated with messaging about how you aren’t enough, you need to be better, you need to have more. You are told who is right, who you should be against, what you should fear, what you should know, and how the world is going to hell in a handbasket. It’s hard... Read More

 By David Holland, “As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’” “‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’” (Luke 10:38-42, NIV) Mothers serve and provide the loving environment that empowers a life worth living. Thank God for the mothers who give themselves faithfully to their families, jobs, homes, and provide stability in a chaotic world. But Moms, when is it time to stop and focus on Christ? Jesus shows us the key to balancing love and service. Most moms swing between serving and nurturing. Jesus speaks to this common human contradiction. Martha was doing all the work. Yet Mary gets the commendation. It seems so unfair until you look at it more closely. Martha had invited Jesus into her home and was bustling about making the preparations, but inside her head criticism brewed. “Why do I have to do all the work? Why doesn’t lazy ole Mary help around here? Doesn’t... Read More