Thanks to summers long days and fair weather, home improvement projects are in full swing this year; hammers are banging, power tools are screaming and wood is being chopped. All over the Las Vegas area people spend their off days working on improving their home; and boy is that something we should all take advantage of. Home projects not only make your home look nicer/better it also give your family a chance to spend some quality time together; even having the children (not too young) learn how to build things will help them gain a sense of accomplishment. Even though it is a million degrees in Las Vegas area during summer- the best time for home improvements is now; especially outdoor ones. I am going to give you a couple easy-ish home improvements you can do that will get you off that couch and get you outside. Start somewhere simple, if you have not done a lot of your own renovating I do not recommend you go knocking walls done without a professional; start at square one and build a garden with your family. Kids who are old enough to dig a little would love not only plant their own veggies/flowers but also they will want to watch them grow too. Every day remind them they have to go outside and water them and give them plant food if necessary. If you already have a garden, make your outdoor areas more useful. If you haven’t already handled improvements to your existing patio, deck or pool, do these as soon as possible so you can enjoy them throughout the summer. At the very least, pay attention to how your family uses your outdoor areas this summer so you can make improvements by next summer. Little things like adding chairs and an outside table on your patio could make it so your family wants to hang outside and watch the kids play instead of watching from a window. Get out there and clean your garage; and yes I know this does not sound like the most summer fun thing you can do, but once you have started you will not want to stop. It is so easy to junk up a garage and as you are cleaning you would be surprised the amount of thing you have found that you forgot you even had; not only that but when you are done, you will feel so much better every time you see your garage you will want to keep it clean. If you have a front yard or back yard, lay a sod lawn down; having grass in your back yard is an essential for little kids in my opinion; sitting on the patio watching the kids do cart-wheels and summer salts will make you thankful you have it. Also, you can put a slip-n-slide on grass and who doesn’t love to play on a slip-in-slide right? If you have the room, install an above ground pool. With the heat in Las Vegas, having your kids play in pool all day will not only keep them occupied but will also give you a chance to get out in the sun, get a tan and spend some time with your kids. There are many more ways you can improve your Las Vegas home, and make it what I call “Vegas-Friendly.” Now get out there, get a tan, and spend some time with your kids. Happy Reading.