It’s been quite a week. First, I went back to my alma mater, DePauw University, and was so humbled to receive the McDermond Medal for Excellence in Entrepreneurship, and then we were thrilled to be named among the world’s most valuable start-ups yesterday by the Silicon Alley Insider.

I don’t even need to steal the candy from my kids’ Halloween baskets this weekend. I’ve had enough treats already!

Hope you have a safe, fun and full-of-treats Halloween, too.  Did you know some costumes contain lead?  Check out our Halloween tips to make sure you and your kids are safe….

I got an interesting email this weekend from a Chicago green home expert who thought we missed the boat on energy efficiency with my post on residential window tinting. While I think it was fine to identify a trend, maybe she’s not the only one interested in ways to make your whole home more energy efficient.

While there’s some disturbing news out today about the Energy Star program, don’t give up on the program just yet – and be aware of government programs designed to help with homeowners efforts to become more efficient energy users, including tax breaks.

Energy audits are a great idea, and some utility companies will offer them for free. There are independent professionals out there, too, who can take a holistic approach to your entire structure and help you make it as energy efficient as possible.

A seasonal check up of your heating and ventilation system is always a good idea.  You can save money by detecting a pending problem that left unchecked could cost you big with an emergency furnace repair call.

If you’re not prepared to invest a lot right now, check out our no- or low-cost ways to save on your winter heating bills .

We read reports on Angie’s List every day looking for trends and red flags and just to keep up on what’s happening in the world. Every once in a while we come across a few that make us smile.

This one, for instance, comes from a member who used a Chicago plumber for an emergency repair. The member tried to repair a kitchen drain on his own when he poked a hole in a pipe. In his words, he “surrendered and called the pros.”

At 6 p.m.
On Saturday.
On a three-day weekend.

He not only got great service, it came fast and on budget. But there’s more:  “He saved my weekend and probably my marriage! “

We love it when things work out…Here’s hoping you have similar luck. P.S. “Hedge your bets like he did, by using a company that’s highly rated on Angie’s List…”

If you can count yourself as an Angie’s List member, you can now accurately say that you’re one in a million. Actually, you’re one in more than a million.

Yep: Angie’s List now has more than 1 million members nationwide. While it’s a milestone worthy of celebration, we didn’t spend a lot of time back-slapping. It’s more important to us to keep minding the store so we can help you find the quality help you need whether it’s roofing, plumbing or something health-related.

For the record, we are very gratified that even in this economy, we’ve continued steady growth. And that’s all because you recognize Angie’s List as a good way to help you find quality contractors and doctors and maybe even save some money along the way.

Speaking of help, I thought I’d start a feature on this blog designed to meet your specific and current interests as gauged by activity we’re seeing here at Angie’s List. I’ll try to do it every week.
 
3 Things Angie’s List members want to know right now:

1.    Is air duct cleaning worth it?
2.    What makes windows energy efficient and will it work for me?
3.    Should I remodel or just buy a new house?

Angie's List members: If you've ever referred a friend to Angie's List, you likely got a big bag of M&M’s and a thank you note for your “big mouth” after your friend bought a membership.

For the month of October, we're upping the ante. For each new membership purchased by the 31st that identifies you as the referral, we're going to enter your name into a drawing for a $1,000 cash Big Mouth prize.


(We'll send the M&M’s and the letter, too...)