October has come and gone and Thanksgiving, Christmas and a brand new year are just around the corner.

Heating and cooling costs are up 400 percent in the last decade, according to the Association for Better Insulation. You may think that insulating should be the first step in making your home more energy efficient, but air leaks through the ceiling, walls, foundation and other areas typically are the greatest sources of heat loss in a home. In this month’s issue, you’ll learn how you can improve comfort and save up to 30 percent on your energy bill by sealing gaps, cracks and drafts.

With the holidays just around the corner chances are good that you will be doing lots of cooking and reheating lots of leftovers with your microwave. With that in mind, if your microwave oven is more than fifteen years old it should be checked for output efficiency and radiation leakage. We have some simple tips that will help you make sure that your microwave is safe and that none of your leftovers are cold.

November and December are traditionally busy months for travel, much because of holiday gatherings in faraway places. In addition, retirees find themselves seeking a warmer climate to ease their aching bones. Whether leaving your home for a long Thanksgiving weekend or for an extended season of sunshine, there are steps that you can take that will minimize the risk of damage to your home when you're not there.

Speaking of 'aching bones', back pain got you down? In this issue of On The House Express, America's Most Popular Personal Trainer Karel Nunnink has some great advice on how to improve your posture, strenthen your core and eliminate back pain.

Plus, we’ve got some great tips on how to deal with a gooey oven, leaking refrigerator seals and how to remove stubborn adhesive stickers.

Finally, don’t forget to move your clocks forward AND change batteries in all of your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms. This is especially important as we enter the home heating season when house carbon monoxide poisoning and house fires rise dramatically.

Happy Turkey Day and here's to staying warm in winter. We have lots of blessings and much for which to be thankful -- our health, our families, our friends and you.