ABC Blog

A Child’s Hope Coffee Featured at Central Market’s Coffee Fest

A Child's Hope

Coffee. For many of us, it’s a necessity in the morning. A ritual to get our day off to a good start. A well-deserved break in the afternoon.

Did you realize that a cup of coffee can change a child’s life?

ABC Commits To Helping Haitian Children

After the devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010, members of the pest control industry in the United States traveled to the island nation to offer humanitarian aid. Haiti has long been the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, so the government struggled to support its citizens as they worked to rebuild after this catastrophic event.

Raleigh Jenkins, the owner of the Houston branch of ABC Home & Commercial Services, decided he wanted to do something more to help, particularly for Haiti’s children. Working together with a few colleagues and friends, A Child’s Hope was born.

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How To Winterize Your Sprinkler System

how to winterize your sprinkler system

When colder temperatures are on the way, homeowners can take simple steps to make sure that outdoor spaces are ready to weather any extreme temperatures. What can you do to avoid costly repairs in the spring when temperatures begin to climb? One place to start is your sprinkler system.

How to Winterize Your Sprinkler System

Wondering how to winterize your sprinkler system yourself? Here’s our first tip: Don’t wait for winter’s first freeze! Sprinkler systems should be clear of water before frigid temperatures set in, to avoid burst pipes, broken valves, and the cost and hassle of repair.

Here’s the good news: With an air compressor and a little homeowner know-how, you can avoid the cost of hiring a professional by winterizing your sprinkler system yourself. Most systems are equipped with built-in drain valves to release water from the system, but these may not be sufficient for eliminating water that has pooled in … Read Full Post »

How To Keep Pipes From Freezing Without Heat

how to keep pipes from freezing without heat

Winter often means bundling up and adding on extra layers. For homeowners, the season can also bring extra responsibilities. When temperatures dip below the freezing mark, pipes can freeze and lead to other, more serious problems.

How To Keep Your Pipes From Freezing This Winter

Since the possibility of freezing pipes only happens once a year, and relatively infrequently in warmer climates, it can be difficult to remember exactly what to do to minimize any potential damage to your home. Here at ABC Home & Commercial Services, we want to help make things easier on homeowners all year long.  Read our list of tips and steps you can take to prevent your pipes from freezing over below.

Inspect Your Home

Homeowners often ask us how to keep pipes from freezing without heat. The answer is that the same tips for keeping your pipes from freezing can also protect your home if you lose … Read Full Post »

Fire Safety Tips To Keep Your Loved Ones Safe All Year Long

fire safety tips

Cold winter nights call for warm beverages, movie nights, and of course, curling up by the fireplace.

Keep Your Loved Ones Safe With These Fire Safety Tips

Before you light the fire and cuddle up under a few blankets, there are a few things you should consider. Read our fire safety tips below to keep your family and home safe this winter.

Perform Regular Maintenance

Both wood burning and gas fireplaces are designed to keep your family safe. Still, though, it’s important to perform proper maintenance operations before lighting the first fire of the season.

One of the first things you’ll want to do is ensure your fireplace is clear of obstructions and creosote. This can be done by a professional chimney sweep. Do this annually, before you light your first fire. Your chimney sweep will share other fireplace safety tips with you which may be particularly relevant to your home.

Once your fireplace is … Read Full Post »

Ways to Give Back in Houston

Volunteer opportunities in Houston

Of course, we are biased, but we think Houston is one of the best places to live and work in the entire country. When we volunteer, we can make our city even better. There are a lot of different ways you can get involved.

Volunteer Opportunities in Houston

Let’s look at just a few volunteer opportunities in Houston and the surrounding communities.

Volunteering for Adults

The Houston Food Bank can always use a helping hand. The organization needs folks to help sort, process, and pack food for hungry Houstonians. If you prefer, you can volunteer to prepare meals for kids in the organization’s dedicated kitchen. You can get your employer involved with one of the agency’s corporate programs. For college students and others looking to enhance job skills, the Food Bank also has leadership programs.

Enjoy education and reading? Then the Houston Public Library wants to hear from you. The Library has programs for adults … Read Full Post »

Celebrate The Season With These Houston Holiday Events

Houston holiday events

Houston sparkles during the holiday season, and when it comes to holiday events in Houston, there’s truly something for everyone.

2016 Holiday Events in Houston

Whether you’re on a budget or feeling flush, and whether you love brilliant lights displays, musical or theater performances, or shopping and festivals, the following Christmas events in Houston are sure to help you get into the holiday spirit.

Numerous holiday lights displays transform Houston and neighboring areas into a winter wonderland! Particular favorites include Zoo Lights at the Houston Zoo (through Jan. 15), Magical Winter Lights at Galveston’s Gulf Greyhound Park (through Jan. 8), and Festival of Lights at Galveston’s Moody Gardens (through Jan. 8). Check out our list of the best holiday lights for more ideas.

Holiday train rides at Hermann Park (now through Jan. 13) — Decked out in festive garlands, the train glows after dark with colorful lights. Tickets are $3.50 per person; children … Read Full Post »

Great Teacher Christmas Gift Ideas

Teacher Christmas gift ideas

We all want to save time around the home, and there is no time of year when that’s more appreciated than during the busy holiday season. When thinking about who you need to buy for, your children’s teachers are very likely on your list. What’s the best way to show your appreciation for all the hard work which teachers do all year long? It can be a challenge to come up with the best way to show your gratitude.  

Great Teacher Christmas Gift Ideas

If you have a long to-do list for Christmas, including shopping for a present your child’s teacher, here are some great gift idea suggestions.

For the Busy, Practical Mom

Gift cards are a fast and easy way for busy parents to give teachers exactly what they want or need. You or the designated classroom parent can even collect funds from multiple parents in the class online to give … Read Full Post »

Our Favorite Holiday Traditions

Family holiday traditions

We often think of traditions when the holidays are approaching. These observances help us celebrate the past, enjoy the present, and anticipate the future. Traditions help connect us and reinforce our values.

Maybe you put on the same Christmas music every time you decorate your tree. Perhaps it’s making your grandmother’s pie for your meal on Christmas Eve. It may be as simple as what you leave out for Santa (reindeer food, anyone?).

Here are ABC Home & Commercial Services, we pride ourselves on being a family-owned and operated company which has been serving our customers for over 50 years. We care about our communities and support local charities.

Our Family’s Favorite Holiday Traditions

These are our favorite holiday traditions here in Houston:

Favorite lights displays & events

One tradition that we enjoy is to have a tractor hayride and tour the holiday lights of Prestonwood Forest. This neighborhood is well known in the Houston area … Read Full Post »

What We Love About Houston

Things to do in Houston

Everyone knows that Austin has live music, San Antonio has the world-famous Riverwalk, and Dallas is all about luxury shopping. Meanwhile, Houston residents know that while maybe not as flashy as the other cities in Texas, their city has quietly become one of the best cities in which to live in the entire country.

Let’s take a look why we are glad to call Houston home. With a vibrant economy, beautiful open spaces, world-class museums, star-studded sports teams, and a long list of fantastic things to do in Houston, we at ABC Home & Commercial Services are thankful to live and work in such a great city.

Big City, Big Money

As Texas’ largest city, Houston has a thriving economy, with the tech, energy and construction sectors remaining healthy and driving growth. In fact, Houston is second only to New York in headquartering Fortune 500 businesses.

With the healthy economic outlook, as well … Read Full Post »

How To Decorate Your Home For Christmas [INFOGRAPHIC]

How to decorate your home for Christmas

The holidays are a truly magical time of year.

That said, a lot of work goes on behind the scenes to make Christmas special. Before the stockings can be hung by the chimney with care, the box with the Christmas ornaments needs to come down from the attic, the Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations need to be put away, and the house needs to be ready for all your holiday gatherings and guests.

We here at ABC Home & Commercial Services want to help you get ready for the holiday season. We’ve compiled a list of Smart Christmas Decorating Tips so you can spend your precious time doing the things that matter most.

If you need a helping hand this holiday season, know that you can count on us.

From all of us here at ABC, we wish you a Christmas full of special memories.

 

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