The Paradiso Insurance Blog

If you’re overwhelmed with the mess that has accumulated in your home, and there’s no end in sight, have no fear!  Probably along the course of your homes life, it’s going to be a mess every now and then. If you can’t stand the mess any longer, maybe its time to call a cleaning service to help you out around the house.

And who better to call than Lisa Finch Cleaning Service, LLC! They are great with cleaning anything from oriental rugs, your pool, or your whole house! Located right in our little town of Stafford Springs, Lis Finch and company will have you home looking like new and in pristine condition after her team get their magic hands on your house.

A proud friend of Paradiso Insurance, Lisa Finch’s Cleaning Service is the master of turning around a home’s disaster. So what are you waiting for? Give Lisa a call today at (860) 684- 6272.

While residents know that Stafford Springs is both a scenic and historic place to live, it’s important that they do what they can to preserve the town and keep it looking its best. Earth Day is the perfect time to pay a little extra attention to community property and ensure that the area is ready for spring. The local Connecticut insurance experts at Paradiso Insurance encourage residents to join them on April 22^nd from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. as they participate in Downtown Cleanup Day, sponsored by the Middle Ground Café and Studio 85.

Volunteers can bring gloves, rakes, shovels and brooms to assist in keeping the downtown area beautiful, while listening to live music in Haymarket Square and enjoying refreshments that will be served by local businesses. Non-perishable foods and personal items will also be collected for Safe Net.

The team at Paradiso is accustomed to helping people keep their homes looking their best with Connecticut homeowners insurance, and now they ask their friends, family and clients in the area to help them make the Downtown Stafford area shine. The rain date for the event is April 29. Individuals who have questions or who would like to help out can contact the Connecticut insurance office at (860) 684-5270.

On Wednesday, April 25, 2012, (that’s next week!) our friend Dave Engelson and the rest of the Hockanum Valley Community Council are holding their annual fashion show fundraiser to help those in need in our surrounding community.  Spring into Style will take place at Maneeley’s banquet hall from 6:30-9pm,  featuring many of our best community leaders, including  Chris Paradiso and Enzo Faienza.

Making a special appearance at this event is none other than WFSB 3′s beloved meteorologist, Scot Haney! He’ll be modeling down the runway with the rest of us, so what more could you ask for?  If you’re interested in attending, please see the ad below for all of the great details!

We at Paradiso Insurance want to see as many people there as possible on April 25th! We wish to help our community friends at the HVCC as much as possible, but we need your help! Buy your tickets now!

HOCKANUM VALLEY COMMUNITY COUNCIL, INC. 

presents its Annual Fashion Show

Spring Into Style

April 25, 2012 

6:30pm ~ 9:00pm 

@ Maneeley’s 

Featuring

Claudette Fried,

renowned Image Consultant and Make-up Artist

and Scot Haney,

WFSB Channel 3 Meteorologist

Raffles and Door prizes

Tickets $35.00

Patron Tickets $50.00

Includes Buffet Dinner & Cash Bar

Doors open at 6:15

Call 860-872-7727 for tickets 

New business owners that are looking for the right electrical contractor to wire their new office should start and end their search at one place- Stafford Electrical!

Owned by Paradiso Insurance friend Todd Aldrich, Stafford Electrical is Tolland county’s premier electrical contractor that can have your office space up-to-date with the best and fastest electrical and technological products around.  Give your business the speed boost it needs with the help of Stafford Electrical.

So what are you waiting for? If you’re office is lacking the necessary tools to conduct business in this lightening fast economy of today, then give Stafford Electrical a call at (860) 871-1446!

Is your kitchen, bathroom or whole house in need of remodeling? What about that office? Yeah, it probably needs some work if nothing’s happened in a while.  Whatever you case may be, beautiful ceramic tile can turn any room in your home or office the most beautiful part of your home or office building. So who do you call that’s covered with Hartford business insurance, and has everything you’ll ever need?

Well that’s the easiest question of the day! Give Enzo Faienza a call at Universal Tile for any of your remodeling needs! Here’s their bio that will answer any of your questions:

“At Universal Tile we import a large selection of ceramic & porcelain body floor tile, wall tile, and backsplash tile. All this material is conveniently stocked in our large 40,000 square foot warehouse. Our state of the art designer showroom is located at 301 Murphy Road in the outskirts of Hartford, CT. Our showroom features many different types of displays that make your tile shopping experience simple and non exhausting. Over 30 different floors have been laid in the showroom to help give our customers a variety of design ideas. The showroom also features various tiled vignettes featuring many of the latest styles and trends.”

So need I say more? Go to Enzo and Universal Tile for all of your tile needs!

What’s more frustrating as a homeowner than a leaking faucet, a busted pipe, or a broken hot-water heater? I’ll answer it for you, nothing!  Well rest assured, Aqua Pump, owned by Scott Nigro can answer your call, day or night, to fix whatever water issues you may be experiencing. They’re the experts for our Stafford Springs community so why call anyone else?

Hopefully if the damage is significant, your CT homeowners insurance will help you out to get back on your feet.  But if its minor damage, the guys at Aqua Pump can get your problem fixed in no time, at the lowest cost around.  Conveniently located in the heart of Stafford, Connecticut any homes in our surrounding community can expect quick and timely service from Aqua Pump’s staff.

So why go to anyone else? Get your pipes fixed with Aqua Pump today! Give ‘em a call, you’ll be glad you did! Would the Paradiso Insurance team recommend anyone but the best?

If you’re looking for a solid auto body shop in the heart of Stafford Springs, Connecticut, look no further than Rossi Borthers!  Our friends Paul and Peter over at Rossi Brothers Custom Auto and Truck can help you make your ride the dream machine that you’ve always hoped for!

They can customize your car, truck or SUV to any specification you so desire.  Never have we heard of subpar work coming out of their shop, so why bother searching for any other body shop? Rossi Brothers are the pros when it comes to custom rides!

Whether you’re fixing up your car or customizing it to make it unlike any other ride on the road, remember to update your CT auto insurance!  You sure don’t want that sweet new car to be wrecked within weeks of its new, flashy state.  Having your car properly insured with CT auto insurance will give you the peace of mind to know that your precious ride, done over by Rossi Brothers, will be covered.

Well the warm weather is finally here, kids are finishing up the last leg of school (thank goodness!) and that means one thing, summer is here and that mean it’s time to celebrate with Mad Tents, LLC

The best part about Mad Tents is that they offer more than just tents…they have the largest supply of tents, bounce houses, mega water & dry slides and so much more! They even have a photo booth! Who doesn’t love a photo booth?

Just look at what owners Matt and Sean have in their arsenal of fun-filled activities:

If you want to keep track of Matt and Sean’s Mad Tents adventures, check them out on their Facebook page as well as the Mad Tents Website!

You can also call them at (203)-294-1630  to book your next party with them!!

The old adage that delicious food is bad for you isn’t necessarily true anymore.  Now we’re not saying that the Big Mac your holding right now is going to reduce your blood pressure, but foods that you may have thought weren’t that healthy for you, in fact are quite good for you.  And the best part is, they’re delicious! What more could you want?

Your CT insurance provider hopes that everyone is choosing healthy eating and living styles, however if you’re looking for a little help, here’s some tasty foods that will have you feeling great, cholesterol lowered, and your mouth watering for more!

Strawberries 

Research has found that strawberries cause a 11 percent drop in bad cholesterol in obese people. Throw some into your next smoothie and you have an awesome snack that is good for you, and delicious!

Broccoli

Okay I know, broccoli isn’t everyone’s favorite food in the whole world, but really, it grows on you and its fantastic for you too.  Whether raw, steamed or cooked, broccoli is a power house of nutritious food.

Lean Red Meat

Easily my favorite on this list, lean red meat, will lower your cholesterol!  Part of a healthy diet, lean red meat can lower bad (LDL) cholesterol as much as 10 percent. GREAT NEWS! According to Fox News Health,  ”Popular cuts like top sirloin steak, tenderloin, T-bone steak and 95 percent lean ground beef are all great for you.  A 3-ounce serving of beef has 150 calories and 10 essential nutrients, such as protein, zinc and iron.”

Chocolate

Eating chocolate, especially dark chocolate, can result in significant reductions in cholesterol.  Make sure however that this chocolate is pure dark or milk, because many chocolate producers add unhealthy ingredients to make their treats even more sinful.  It’s not worth it!

Your CT insurance intern is back with another great season of sports recaps!

Well this past week has been anything short of fantastic for all of you sports fans out there.  From the finale of the college basketball season and the ending of the regular season for the NHL ,to opening day for Major League Baseball and the Masters Tournament from Augusta National, this week was a sports fan’s dream week come true!

To start off the week, we had the National Championship game of the Men’s NCAA basketball tournament, with the overall number one seeded and favorite Kentucky Wildcats coached by John Caliperi, overmatch and dominate the Kansas Jayhawks from start to finish to clinch the 2012 national title. The following day, the Baylor Lady Bears, headed by the 6′ 8″ Brittney Giner, demolished the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to win the women’s 2012 tournament in Denver.

This week is also the final week for the National Hockey League, as both the New York Rangers and the Boston Bruins clinched the first and second seeds in the Eastern conference to begin playoff hockey. The B’s have their last game tomorrow versus Buffalo, and the Rangers take on the Capitals to finish out the season.

Wednesday was officially the start of MLB play, with the Cardinals beating the newly redesigned Miami Marlins 4-1.  Yesterday the Boston Red Sox kicked off their season in Detroit against the Tigers, looking to have a better season than last year’s epic collapse, however lost in extra innings, 3-2. The Yankees are in Tampa Bay to face the Rays to start their season today, first pitch at 3:10pm.

And finally the Masters Tournament. It’s the most eloquent and passionate golf tournament of the year.  The Augusta National Golf Course is arguably one of the most beautiful, and difficult, golf courses in the world, and every first week of April, the golfing world focuses on this tournament- for the Green Jacket. Currently, Jason Dufner and Fred Couples sit atop the leader board at -5, with the young Irishman Rory McIlroy on their heels at -4.

It’s gross I know, but you have to be aware that insects in your home are a real and dangerous problem.  Now, spring time, is the perfect time to make moves on your pest control.  The National Pest Management Association warns that all CT homeowners insurance purchasers should consider using any pest extinction professionals to rid your home of any bugs.

So what do you look for? Which bugs are bad and harmful to your home?

-Stinging insects: Spring time is the perfect time for bees and wasps to come out in full force.  They’ll stay away from you unless you threaten their hives, but the bad part is that they often build their hives under horizontal surfaces like branches, gutters or beams that can be in an attic.

-Termite: We all know these little critters are killers for your home’s structure.  If you see one, don’t brush it off, there’s many more around, guaranteed. Call a pest control firm immediately.

-Carpenter Ants: Any wet or decaying wood? You’ll be sure to find these guys there reeking havoc on your home.  They’ll find the smallest of holes and cracks in a wall or door.  Remove sources of moisture from your home’s framing and that will greatly reduce your threat of carpenter ants.

So look out for these small, but powerful insects this spring season.  They’ll be out in full force, and you surely don’t want to deal with the devastating consequences that could cause a CT homeowners insurance claim to be filed.

Thanks to the House Master for these tips!

To Kill an American  You probably missed this in the rush of news, but there was actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a newspaper, an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any American. So an Australian dentist wrote an editorial the following day to let everyone know what an American is. So they would know when they found one. (Good one, mate!!!!)  ‘An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may also be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani or Afghan.  An American may also be a Comanche, Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache, Seminole or one of the many other tribes known as native Americans. An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim. In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan. The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them chooses.  An American is also free to believe in no religion… For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God. An American lives in the most prosperous land inthe history of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence, which recognizes the God given right of each person to the pursuit of happiness. An American is generous…  Americans have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need, never asking a thing in return.  When Afghanistan was over-run by the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country!  As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan …  The national symbol of America, The Statue of Liberty , welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed. These in fact are the people who built America  Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September 11, 2001 earning a better life for their families.  It’s been told that the World Trade Center victims were from at least 30 different countries, cultures, and first languages, including those that aided and abetted the terrorists. So you can try to kill an American if you must.  Hitler did.  So did General Tojo, and Stalin, and Mao Tse -Tung, and other blood-thirsty tyrants in the world…  But, in doing so you would just be killing yourself.  Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American

Your CT insurance company always supports our men and women in the armed forces and continue love this great country that we call home.

When the weather is nice and the sun is shining, it’s the perfect opportunity to head outside and revamp your home to make it look spectacular for the warm spring and summer months.  Often times, sprucing up you home involves the use of ladders.  While most of the time you’ll have no issue when using a ladder, it nonetheless is still very hazardous and personal injury can occur quickly and without warning.

There are certain tasks like cleaning gutters, trimming trees, or giving the house a fresh coat of paint.  Regardless of what you’re doing on your ladder, here’s some issues to help you stay safe the next time you climb up the rungs.

• Overreaching: remember to never reach beyond your normal arm length limits.  This can easily off-set your balance and send you tumbling down.

• Wrong type of ladder- the times for using your father’s old wooden ladder are far behind you.  Also make sure to check the weight limitations for the ladder, as well as if it’s an extendable ladder or an A-frame ladder.  They have different uses for different situations

• Electrical danger-  Always, always, always make sure that wherever you’re working that there are no overhead, exposed wires.  If you have to be close to these types of hazards, make sure the equipment you are using will not conduct electricity.  Make sure to check your CT homeowners insurance to make sure you’re covered for any damage that may happen if a wire causes a fire.

• Hands Free, Just Like a Cell Phone- When climbing a ladder, try by all means possible to climb with both hands free to grab on the side of the ladder itself.

So please take these guidelines into consideration when using a ladder during the upcoming warm weather season.  Falling off ladders is much more common than you may think, so be cautious and smart whenever climb those rungs!

Well it’s come down to tonight.  After first and second rounds, sweet sixteens, elite eights and final fours, we have but two teams remaining for the championship game.  March Madness is one of my favorite times of year and not only that, it’s probably one of the best sporting events that we have.  College basketball is unlike any other sport that Americans watch.  The raw talent, human emotion, and drive to be champion is unmatched, and the truly incredible stories that result from March Madness make this tournament the best of the best.

This game is going to be one for the ages for sure.  Kentucky comes in at the number one overall seed in the tournament, and had a pretty easy time making it to the title game.  Beating Western Kentucky, Iowa St., Indiana, and Baylor wasn’t a strenuous undertaking for the Wildcats. Only the semi-final game against Louisville has been their toughest victory thus far. Oh and they also have the Player of the Year in freshman sensation Anthony Davis.

As for the Kansas Jayhawks, they’re road to the championship was a little tougher.  They made it through the first round easily by defeating Detroit, however only beat Purdue by three in the next game, and NC State by three in the Sweet Sixteen.  Their best game thus far was their Elite Eight overwhelming victory against the number one seeded North Carolina Tar Heels.  But in the Final Four, Kansas barely squeaked by Ohio St to make it the the final game tonight. Can the Jayhawks pull out another victory for the title against the best team in the land?

But now we only have one more game.  Tonight a champion will be crowned for the whole country to see.  It’s Kentucky and Kansas, for all the marbles.

Paradiso CT Insurance Blogger Pick: Kentucky

P.S. totally cheering for Kansas though…Rock Chalk!

Each day Connecticut Children’s doctors work tirelessly to deliver leading edge medical care – in an environment that understands the concerns of a child.  On National Doctors’ Day, recognize the contributions of doctors who make a difference in the lives of Connecticut’s children and families.  Send a thank you note to a doctor at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center or make a gift to Connecticut Children’s in their honor.  Learn more >> Send a Thank You  Make a Gift Go to the Foundation website to submit a thank you note to a doctor at Connecticut Children’s.  We will send your message to the doctor you specify on National Doctors’ Day – Friday, March 30th. Help children of Connecticut receive the care they deserve.  Make a gift in honor of a doctor at Connecticut Children’s.  You may choose to notify the doctor of your gift on the Doctors’ Day donation form.