‘Tis the season! The holidays are here, and we couldn’t be happier! But between the hustle and bustle of shopping for presents and planning socially distanced and virtual family gatherings, this holiday season may rush by pretty quickly. At Property Pros, we think it's important to take a step back and take stock of how lucky we are to have made it through a tumultuous year, happy, healthy, and with family and friends by our side. No matter how busy your season gets, we encourage you to take time to appreciate all you have and share some holiday cheer with the ones you love. We know we will be!
At Property Pros, we recognize the importance of keeping our team, clients, and community healthy. Your safety is our top priority, and we want to assure you that we’re taking all the necessary and responsible precautions during this time. As we continue to keep up precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we wanted to remind you that we are still conducting virtual project estimates and remote consultations.

If you're ready to start a project, submitting a virtual project estimate takes four simple steps:
Remote appointment options via phone call or Facetime are available as well. Property Pros will continue to send updated communications as changes arise.
We can’t thank our clients enough for an amazing year! Property Pros would not be who we are today without YOU. We are looking forward to continuing our commitment to creating high-quality outdoor spaces for our customers as we step into the new year. Our appreciation for our hardworking team and our commitment to our customers will never change. A big thank you for your continued support as we move into 2021!
Cold weather has officially settled in but bundle up, there is a bit more outdoor maintenance to take care of before heading in for the season! The winter months may not seem like the best time to work in your yard, but right now is when you can prepare your lawn and landscaping for the coming growing season. Here are a few tips to implement for a safer season and a healthier landscape in the new year:
Paver Care
We may not be far off from freezing rain and snow flurries making for slick conditions on paver patios and pathways. Many homeowners scatter rock salt to remove snow and ice but this can break-down pavers and cement in the long-run, causing crumbling, cracking, and other damage. It is best to physically remove snow with shovels or snowblowers, in addition, to a Magnesium Chloride based ice melt like, Safe Melt, to prevent icy surfaces. This type of ice melt will be less corrosive on your pavers and it's safer for delicate pet paws!
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Dormant Pruning
Winter is the perfect time to trim down overgrown shrubs in need of a drastic size reduction. The cold weather pushes these plants into their dormant stage, which means pruning can be done without causing stress to the plant. Since the plants can withstand more aggressive pruning, it's the perfect time to address shrubs that are growing into walkways creating safety concerns or removing low-hanging, damaged branches. Dormant pruning reinvigorates the overall health of the plants while cleaning up the property for a manicured look at a time when landscaping often looks dull.
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Lawn Clean-Up
Keep cleaning up debris and fallen leaves from your lawn! Not doing so can suffocate the grass before it freezes. On top of that, if left to sit all winter, leaves damp from snow will mat together and create perfect conditions for disease to settle in and take over your lawn, even attracting pests. Give the Pros a call if you need a hand! Stay on top of lawn clean-up for as long as you can before freezing temperatures set in.
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Cole Treacy is our Employee of the Month for December! His leadership and skills demonstrated while working on a few recent projects have earned him recognition for the SECOND time this year. Cole has been working with natural stone, which takes true talent (check out a recent project here). You can never really plan for what a project with these materials will look like, and it takes a distinct ability to put everything together when the stone arrives on the job site. 

Cole is also consistently focused on our client's experience, ensuring that they get the project they envisioned and exceeding their expectations. We love hearing the endless feedback that Cole receives from the homeowners on his projects. 
Thank you to Cole for all of his hard work lately. Please help us in congratulating him AGAIN on being our Employee of the Month!!
Cream Cheese Cut Out Sugar Cookies
Make staying indoors a bit more fun with this simple sugar cookie recipe. Kids can have fun decorating and everybody can enjoy a holiday treat! The cream cheese gives these classic cookies a great flavor and helps keep them soft!
Ingredients:
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 cups butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 5 1/4 cups flour

Cream Cheese Frosting:
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 4 ounces butter, room temperature
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
 
Instructions:
  1. In bowl of stand mixer beat cream cheese and butter until creamy, about 2 minutes, scraping sides as necessary.
  2. Add sugar and beat for an additional 3 minutes. Mixture should be fluffy and pale in color. Turn mixer to medium-low and add in egg yolks, vanilla and salt and mix until combined.
  3. Finally turn mixer to low and slowly add in flour. Mix just until all flour is incorporated.
  4. Chill dough for at least 2 hours.
  5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350° and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
  6. Remove dough from fridge and in portions, roll dough to 1/2 inch thick on a floured surface. Using cookie cutters cut dough and place onto prepared baking sheet. Cookies won’t spread too much.
  7. Bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on how large the cookies you are baking are.
  8. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
 
Frosting:
  1. Cream together butter and cream cheese until smooth. Slowly add in powdered sugar and turn the mixer up to medium high and beat until smooth and creamy.
  2. Color with food coloring if desired.
 
Makes 36 large cookies
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