Tuesday, December 25, 2012

How to Organize Your Home: The Dining Room



An organized dining room adds extra comfort to a home.  If you’re like me, sometimes it’s the only organized room in the house!   

Let’s take a quick look around.  Do you eat in here often or is it only for guests?  

 If you don’t use it often, you may just have some simple organizing and dusting to do. 

Are there papers on your table?  Is this table a collection spot for things you want out of your way and then forget about?   

If there are things that don’t belong in this room, put them in baskets and take those baskets to the appropriate rooms.

Do you have a china cabinet or other means of storing fine dishes?  If so, how does the cabinet look?  

 If it’s stuffed to the gills, start by taking a hard look at what you have, how many place settings you have, and how many you need.   

If you want a guideline, take one from the line in “Sleepless in Seattle”:  “12 is too many, 8 is too few.  10 is just right.”  

 How many creamers, sugar bowls, and teacups do you have?  Are they collecting dust and never getting used?  

 Pare down and give them a quick dusting with your duster.  When you open the doors to your cabinet, do you grit your teeth and wonder what’s going to jump out and kill itself at your feet? 

 Consider giving your surplus to a newly-married couple that can use it, or donate it to a women’s shelter or other worthy charity.   

Dust down (or use furniture polish—whatever is applicable here) the front of your cabinet.

What about your lighting source?  Dusty?  Grab your duster—hit the table, the chairs (rungs and bottom of the table, too!), and the lighting source.   

You don’t have to take it down and scrub it clean—just dust it, and if necessary, shake the dead bugs from it. 

As the final step, run the vacuum in here—not the edges, just the “middles” where you walk.   

Move the chairs but not the table—don’t even think about pulling out the china cabinet!  

 If there are things behind there, they’re small and no one else is going to see them.  <wink>

Congratulations—your dining room is done!   Happily, it’s often one of the easiest rooms to keep looking nice and neat!

Learn more on my how to site here  about how to organize your home

I'll be adding more tips and ideas here all year!

Friday, December 14, 2012

For a Frugal Christmas This Year Avoid The Mistakes That Break the Holiday Budget

When you are planning to enjoy a frugal Christmas at home, but you still want to have Christmas fun with your family and friends, you need to do some planning ahead of time.

The holiday season is pending and you’re all set with a budget. Great! That puts you steps ahead of the majority of people.

However, before you head out to begin your holiday shopping, let’s step back for a moment.

You may have made some critical mistakes in your holiday budget. Identifying them ahead of time will save you stress in the long run.






I have created a huge feature packed page of tips on my site that you can check out for how to keep Christmas simple, while still having tons of Christmas Fun.

But I also want to share some valuable tips here with you that you will find very useful as you plan your Christmas celebrations.

These are the top 5 mistakes that are most likely to break your Holiday budget if you are not clear about your goals:
 
#1 Buying the first item you see - 
 Okay, so your kid wants the new gaming system. You’ve budgeted it and you know you can afford it. You head out to the big box electronics store to grab the item.

Stop! Have you done your research? Is this the cheapest you can get it for?

Are there any promotions or online promotion codes that could save you money?

Just because it fits your budget doesn’t mean you should spend that amount. You might be able to save money.

Chances are, there will be a few surprises during this holiday season and a few bucks saved may come in handy.

#2 Not tracking your expenses - 
One of the most common mistakes people make when creating a budget is they don’t actually track how much they’ve spent. How will you know then if you’ve stayed on budget?

Your tracking system doesn’t have to be fancy. You can simply write at the top of a piece of paper how much you have to spend, who you have to buy for and then leave room to write down how much you’ve spent.

Clip receipts to the paper so you can quickly do the math, and you’re set. Don’t walk out the door before actually creating a system to track your expenses.

#3 Not factoring in unforeseen expenses - 
It’s almost guaranteed that there are going to be some unexpected expenses during the holidays.

 If you don’t leave room in your budget for these expenses, they can put you into debt and cause stress.

This is a season to enjoy, not to get stressed about. Create a miscellaneous expenses category in your budget and allocate some money toward it. That way, all your bases are covered.

#4 Pride and Ego - 
All too often we buy gifts to impress others. For example, that $500 bottle of wine you gave your boss as a hostess gift. There’s no need to do that.

Your hostess would likely be just as happy with a lesser bottle of wine. It really is the thought that counts. Don’t let your pride and ego get you into hot water.

#5 Too much - 
It’s easy to go overboard during the holidays. Learn the value of scaling back. Buy your children three gifts this holiday instead of thirty.

Scale back on the decorations and really focus on quality instead of quantity. You’ll be glad you did.

It’s easy to go over budget during the holidays. Take the time to make a plan and commit to sticking to it. Remember what the holidays mean to you and focus on that.

Be sure to visit my site here for even more tips in planning your Christmas while remembering how to keep Christmas simple



If you are looking for some beautiful Christmas clip art and graphics to use in your Christmas crafts and decorations, you can't beat my pack of 1,500 Christmas graphics for only $5 you can get here: 

 

How to organize your home & Decrease clutter

Living in clutter is a nightmare - you can't find anything so you're stressed out.

Everything you need is hidden underneath piles of 'whatever that is' and you don't have time to find it.

Every time you make time the mere thought of tackling it makes you run in the opposite direction.

I have some helpful tips here on my how to do it website: How to organize your home

But of you're ready to reclaim your space here are five tips to get organized.

Start Small

Cleaning up clutter is overwhelming. The best thing to do is to start small.

Purge one room at a time or purge for 10 minutes a day. Either one of those will help you ease into the cleaning mode.

As you are cleaning decide if each item will be saved, tossed in trash or donated. Have trash bins handy for throwaway items and garbage bags for donations.

Let Go


It’s hard to let go of items because of that time where you will 'need it one day.' Other times there is sentimental value.

Either way you have to make the decision to let go of items you haven’t used. If that 'one day' hasn't arrived yet it probably never will.

Subscriptions like magazines and newspapers that have been read only once needs to be unsubscribed. It takes up so much space.

Storage

Have a place for everything. It will be hard to lose something when everything has a place to go.

Use the garage, basement, attic or similar places for seasonal items.

Another great option is to use stuff around the house. Baskets, boxes and bins go a long way to making a room look more manageable.

Take advantage of vertical storage in the home--bookshelves and vertical storage solutions--and save a lot of space in the process.

If anything is taken from their storage place put it back where you found it. It will always be there when you need it.

Clean Up Time

Organization does not end when everything is clean. You must keep it that way to live in a clutter-free environment.

Schedule a time to clean up the clutter. That way the clutter won’t return back to the way it was.

Stop Wasteful Spending

Purchasing a new item for the house is one more item for possible clutter.

Make sure that this item is absolutely necessary (impulse shopping, latest trends and technology upgrades are NOT necessary).

It’s best to purchase items that will serve more than one purpose or rent items needed.

When one item is purchased purge and take away one item from the home to stop clutter.

This will force you to use what is in the home so that each purchase will have meaning.

How to organize your home



Monday, August 6, 2012

Flooring Options for Your Dog Run or Doggy Day Cares

If you plan on handing over your furry companion to a dog day care facility make sure you choose the right one.

 Take some time and go online to find out what is the pest suited environment for your four legged friend. 

The most modern dog accommodations are the ones to look into. Depending on what breed and age your dog is you will probably be able to find several options.

A good dog day care business should have some basic elements in its structure. One of the most important elements is the type of flooring they provide.

 It can vary from concrete and gravel to pine shavings, dirt or the ever increasing in popularity rubber matting. 

Depending on this feature you can begin to form an opinion on what your dog will have to deal with comfort, health and sanitation wise. This is not the only aspect to take into consideration of course but it is one of the easiest to spot and analyze.

There is a USA made Recycled rubber floor mats for dog runs, doggy day care centers, dog shelters and vet surgeries, that is the most popular dog flooring solution on the market.  It is cheap and perfect for indoor spaces. This material will not absorb odors keeping your dog just as clean and fresh as you left him. 

If dealing with young pups, their tendency to chew is permanent. Being surrounded by rubbery materials, he will not injure himself when trying to bite down on them.

If you know your dog is hyperactive then rubber floor kennels are the way to go. Joints and muscle problems are very common throughout a dog's life.

 In order to prevent such unwanted situations, a good owner must provide suitable training and playing environments. This kind of positive approach can be sustained by working with rubber mat covered surfaces.

Providing better grip and softer running spaces, this material will take good care of your beloved canine companion.  Shock is absorbed and pressure is decreased in order to provide fund and accident free experiences. 

Being agile creatures, dogs can perform several times better when presented with the right opportunities. If you plan on training your dog, a kennel that is mainly covered in rubber mats and similar materials is the best choice. It will allow your puppy to better handle commands and gain greater confidence in his strength.

Click here if you want to learn more about this popular rubber floor mats for dog flooring:

 


I also have some more pages of  helpful information about dog care and dog accessories that you should check out here:

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Beginners Guide To Go Karting: A Buyer’s Guide 101

There is always a tremendous amount of excitement in buying a go kart and accessories. The people who race go karts will understand what this means. 

They get all fired up about the kart and only want the best. Now if you are in the market to  buy your first ever go kart, you will find the tips here quite useful in helping you select a go kart.

All the karts you see on your shopping expedition will tempt you but be firm in your resolve to check out as many as you can before you open your wallet. Taking someone along who knows about go karts is a big plus. New karts should always be bought from reputable dealers who can give you the right kind of advice and support.

When choosing a used go kart you need to pay close attention to the engine. In fact you need to pay more attention to the engine than the kart, really. Racing engines are expensive and if you can find one in top condition it may be worth the cost of patching up a dented framework.

When shopping for a kart for a child in the 8-11 year old age group you need what is called a cadet chassis. This type of kart will have an engine with limited capacity, something in the range of 60-80 cc maybe.

The 12-15 year olds group needs an adult sized kart but an engine of limited capacity. The popular engines are usually Puma, Junior Sportsman and Super Sportsman, among others.

When the driver reaches 16 years of age, which puts the person in the senior class, you can change the engine, since the kart is the same one adults use. To start with the Junior Super Shifter is recommended but you should do your own research.

Before joining a club you need to check the different types of classes on offer. Each club will have its own rules and regulations and track type as well. Tuning your engine to meet racing engine specs will need to be done by a professional. It is better not to venture into something you know nothing about and end up losing your investment.

Find out about whether the club has any rules regarding the use of a specific type of fuel. Also enquire about the type of restrictive plate that has to be put on the engine. This number will need to be displayed on all 4 sides of the kart.

This page will give you tips for buying a go kart for sale, and for driving as well:

http://www.squidoo.com/for-sale-go-karts

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

5 Tips for Decorating Your Home Gym

It doesn't matter if your home gym is in the basement or the corner of a room, decorating your home gym needs to be a place that invites you to workout and have fun.

It should make you feel invigorated and dedicated to working out. How you decorate this space can actually help you keep focused on your goal.

Here are 5 tips for decorating your home gym.

Color

color is a big consideration in any decorating scheme, maybe even more so than other rooms of your home. According to color theorists, color effects your emotions and moods. having the wrong color will make your workout boring and can even make you tire  more easily. 

On the other hand, bright colors, if used in excess, can make your eyes tired and lead you to be more fatigued. The best option is to think practical.

One wall or accents painted a bright color contrasted with neutral colors in the rest of the room can be the right combination. 

Type of Exercise

A room used for yoga will need a more tranquil decorating style than a room for dance aerobics where a high energy feel is needed. A room that will be used for multiple types of exercise may require a more neutral theme with very few accessories.

Flooring

Carefully choose your flooring. It will be used as an exercise platform, a noise reducer and impact resistant surface for your heavy machines.

Rubber flooring tiles fits these needs well. It is available in different thicknesses and colors and can be installed quickly and easily.

Stimulation

Add some kind of visual or auditory stimulation in your room. A work out can become boring, especially if you are alone. Provide music that you enjoy and gets you moving to help you stay motivated.

A television is another option. You can watch exercise programs or catch up on the news. Motivational posters keep you stimulated as well.

Consider your needs

Before buying any equipment, consider what types of exercise you will be doing. You may need free weights or a weight machine. You might need resistance bands or a multi-station gym.

You might need a rubber mat for floor exercises or a pull up bar. Just consider your needs before you begin filling your room.

Your home gym needs to be a place that supports your exercise style. Keep your fitness goals in mind when decorating your home gym.

Here is a selection of pages that detail my top tips for decorating your home gym!


Home Gym Decorating Accessories
Having the option to workout at home can be a time and budget saver for many people. Once you have found the right space you want to decorate it to make it ...
Home Gym Decorating
Just because the room will be used for utilitarian purposes doesn't mean it should be basic and boring. If you love working out at home, it is time to give t...
Home Gym Wall Decor
From wall murals to posters to prints and acrylic wall decor, you'll find great ideas here for your home gym walls! Don't just go into your home gym and try...
Home Gym Mirrors
These large mirrors and acrylic sheets will be perfect for your home gym or dance studio. The acrylic sheets can be cut to size and are safe and unbreakable...
Home Gym Workouts
Home gym workouts are great for those who have limited time or budgets. With a home gym you can vary your workout to how you feel. And you save on the cost ...
Home Gym Essentials
Many people opt to join a local gym to workout. For those who don't, you need to determine what basic home gym essentials. There are many reasons to set up a...
Decorating A Basement Home Gym
A basement home gym can be poorly lit and feel like a dungeon. And that is the last place you want to work out. Turning that uninviting space into a regular...
Basement Home Gym Decorating
Setting up your basement home gym for fun and safety is a topic being talked about more often than ever before. Not long ago a home gym consisted of a few ba...

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

If You Love Your Eggs Poached You Need a Great Egg Poacher!

I love to eat my free range eggs poached, with a dollop of Hollandaise sauce, maybe some asparagus on the side, and definitely with some freshly steamed chard and silverbeet.... My dream Sunday Brunch!

But if you are new to cooking, and don't know the tricks of the trade to always produce perfect poached eggs 'the old fashioned way' then you can still produce a stunning poached egg dish by using the latest kitchen appliances to do the job for you and ensure you succeed every time!

On this page I will feature some of the better known brands, that have proven to be the most popular with online shoppers.  I'm sure you will find this info useful to make an informed choice as a shopper when setting up your kitchen appliances:

 We've reviewed several of the best products on the market and covered stove top products, microwave products and even single egg cookers. Here's a quick review of what we've discovered.

The appeal of the RSVP Endurance 1-Egg Poacher Set is in its size and versatility. It's also moderately priced around $22 and makes a nice addition to your kitchen. The  item is perfect for the single person or if only one person in the home enjoys poached eggs.

With it's easy to clean design, non-stick surface and being dishwasher safe, this little gadget can save you time.

If you're a little more serious about your poached eggs, need to cook more than one at a time and need a heavy-duty stove top poacher, the Norpro Egg Poacher Skillet Set   might be more your style. It's a little on the pricey side at around $70, but it will offer you years of great cooking. Its stainless steel design also offers years of durability. It may be the last egg poacher you ever purchase.

For the family who enjoys poached eggs and likes a bit of whimsy in their life, The Maverick Henrietta Egg Cooker and Poacher  is the perfect addition to your kitchen. This little egg poacher is extremely cute; she looks like a chicken. She is moderately priced at around $25 and most customers absolutely love her. If you have children at home they will enjoy getting to help you poach eggs and hear Henrietta "chirp" when the eggs are done.

For those who are short on storage space and need a product that can easily store inside a drawer, then  Fusionbrand’s 3-Inch Silicone Poach Pods  may be the perfect item for you. These little pods float on top of boiling water. You simply need your own pot or skillet. They may seem a little pricey, you get a pair of two pods for $10, but if you take care of them, they can offer you years of use.
If you love poached eggs but don't need a fancy egg poacher, this is a great item for you.

Not everyone enjoys microwaved eggs, but the Progressive International Microwavable Four Egg Poacher   offers an easy solution and is designed specifically for the microwave. If you don't want to poach your eggs on the stove-top using traditional methods, or if you're a college student, this is the perfect item for you. It's easy to use and easy to clean up if you follow the instructions for use and care.



Shopping for an egg poacher doesn't have to be a daunting task, especially if you know what you need. Our comparison of the above egg poacher should help you make the perfect decision to suit your needs.

Norpro Stainless Steel 10-inch Egg Poacher Skillet Set

For the home-cooking enthusiast that wants to cook like the pros, when you whip out this poacher, your friends and family will know you mean business.

The Norpro Egg Poacher Skillet Set rings in as the heavy-weight of poachers in the home cooking environment. Imagine if you have to cook for a large family in the mornings or even for special gatherings. You would have an advantage with the five cup system and you could use the large skillet later to cook up a nice one-skillet meal for the family.

The skillet base is made of a Tri-Ply Encapsulated Base for even heat distribution. Add to it a vented glass lid and you have a product that will evenly cook your eggs and other foods with less chance of burning.

Remember how frustrated you get when attempting to multi-task in the kitchen and end up burning your meal? With Norpro’s Egg Poacher and skillet, you can set your eggs or meal to cook and know that it will come out right every time.

Pros:
If taken care of properly, this poacher will last for years.
      It also doubles as a great large skillet for cooking other foods.
Cons:
Not for the regular consumer at $67-74.
      Since it is made of stainless steel, there is a chance of eggs sticking.

Tips:
     * It’s best to hand wash this skillet and cup set so as not to scratch the surface resulting in more chances for eggs to stick.

     * Use oil instead of cooking spray to avoid sticking

Product Features

* Measures 10 inches/25.5cm diameter and stay cool handle is 7.25 inches/18.5cm

* Includes 5 removable egg poacher cups and a tempered glass vented lid

* Made of stainless steel

* Hand washing recommended

What Customers Say:


* I'm completely satisfied with this egg poacher. It's easy to use and easy to clean, and the eggs come out great!

* This is a very beautiful pan, and it works really well.

* I've tried, and worn out or destroyed, no less than 4 other, less expensive, egg poachers, including the one with the plastic egg cups that gives you rubbery eggs. This one is well worth the extra money spent--it is well designed and sturdy.

* This is a great egg poacher at a great price, attractive design, cooks well, the major flaw is the small black plastic knobs on each poacher cup. While they are easy to pick up, they are too dang hot to hold for more than a second, making it quite inconvenient to try to spoon the egg out of the cups; you have to awkwardly use a pair of tongs, a pot mitt, or your napkin.

If you're looking for a product that will give you many years of service and perfectly poached eggs, give the  Norpro Egg Poacher Skillet Set a try. Knowing how durable and long-lasting this egg can be, makes it pretty cost effective in the long run.



Shopping Online For The Best Kitchen Appliance Deals Is Simple!

We all know that if you are an enthusiastic cook, or determined new learner in the kitchen, you will quickly learn that having the right gadgets and kitchen appliances on hand is essential to culinary success, and especially to you being able to enjoy the cooking instead or working so hard that it stops being fun to cook.

The good news for you is that when it comes to purchases for home and kitchen appliances, 2013 is said to be the year of the consumer.

But don't expect the best appliance bargains don’t come from your local hardware store, instead you will get them from online retailers who are steep in competition with one another.

Shopping online you get bigger savings, and you can also get perks from amazon.com  like free shipping added onto your order! That is a great bonus for convenient home delivery.

Here are some of the best appliance deals you can find online right now:


Cuisinart CSB-76BC SmartStick 200-Watt Immersion Hand Blender, Brushed Chrome – Save 51% off retail price and get FREE shipping on this item. It enjoys 374 almost perfect five star reviews.

   
Cuisinart CSB-76BC SmartStick 200-Watt Immersion Hand Blender, Brushed Chrome


  Hamilton Beach 67650 Big Mouth Pro Juice Extractor – With 274 reviews, earning a solid four stars, this is the fourth most popular home appliance sold online right now – and by buying through this link, you save 20% and get FREE shipping, too!


 

Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juice Extractor 67650 Hamilton Beach 33967 


Set ‘n Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker – FREE shipping, a discount of 25%, and 356 consumer reviews have made this a top five online seller in the world of home appliances.

 

Hamilton Beach 33967 Set 'n Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker
Crane 2.3 Gallon COOL Mist humidifier, White and Blue – Save 25% off retail price AND get FREE shipping so it’s delivered to your home at no cost to you. Over 385 consumer reviews say this small home appliance is almost perfect.

GE SmartWater MWF Refrigerator Water Filter, 1-Pack – You save an enormous 67% off retail price when you order from the link on this page! A huge 338 consumer reviews give it an almost perfect five star rating.

Having a GE Smartwater Filtration in place is a good way to stop those unwanted additions from making their way into your water. Some of those unwanted additions such as sediments can negatively affect the quality of your water.

Without a guard in place to block against the stuff you don’t want, you could even end up having water that has an odor to it and that would make for some pretty unpleasant drinking water.

This filter can replace the filter in your GE refrigerator and is designed to work with a variety of GE manufactured refrigerators. By buying one of these filters, you’ll save money since you’ll no longer need to purchase water from the store or have water brought to your home.

The GE Smartwater Filtration is so quick to put into place that you won’t need any special skills to trade it out with the filter you currently have. You also won’t have to shut off the water when installing this filter.

The filter will make sure there isn’t a water leak while you replace the filter. Since it’s recommended to install a new filter twice a year, you may want to go ahead and buy two of them so that you’ll have one ready for when you need it.




Plus, the best electric indoor grill can simply be wiped clean without the scrubbing hassle you get from an outdoor one. Using a grill inside cuts down on the cost of the appliance since they’re much less expensive.

You can also get some of the better ones on the market that not only cook burgers to perfection but will also cook vegetables and can also double as a panini press.

Check out my other pages here about reliable and affordable kitchen accessories and gadgets that you need to get your kitchen set up properly: 

http://www.learn-how-to-do-it.com/how-to-pick-the-best-coffee-maker.html


GET A SELECTION OF TRUSTED RECIPES!

And of course, make sure you get your library of 32 cookbooks from my book store site, so that you have a lifetime of recipes on hand for every occasion and season!

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Fun Kids Bedroom and Nursery Decorating Ideas


Just like your own bedroom, a child’s bedroom is a very special place to him.

This is the one space that he can call his own and really showcase his personality. 

Whether you are decorating a bedroom for a boy or a girl, read on to find some really creative ideas. 

Camping Trip. 

If your little guy or gal likes the great outdoors, turn his or her bedroom into a rustic retreat. 

Paint the walls an earthy tone and cover the floor with a shag green area rug to mimic the grass. 

Display a mural of the woods on a focal wall to give the space a true outdoors feeling. For furnishings, opt for pieces that are made out of natural wooden logs for a truly authentic look. 

A tent pitched in a corner of the room will make a great space for creative play. 

Every child’s room needs toys, so for this one, display toys that tie into the camping theme, such as plush bears, toy fishing rods and toy fish, binoculars and even a camp lantern. 

A nightlight that casts the constellations onto the ceiling at night will really make your child feel as if he is sleeping outdoors, plus it will soothe any fears of the dark that he might have. 

Prima Ballerina. 

If your little girl has twinkle toys, let her unleash her inner ballerina with a ballet-themed bedroom. The obvious color choice for this bedroom is pink, and you can incorporate it on the walls, in the linens and in the accessories. 

In order to avoid a monotonous look, select different shades of pink, or incorporate other feminine colors, such as purple. Hang tulle curtains over the windows and drape tulle above the bed. 

Hang ballet shoes on the walls and print of Degas’ ballerinas. If space allows, install a ballet bar on a wall and hang a mirror behind it so that your little one can practice her pas de bourree. 

Bugs Life.  

For a little guy who is into bugs, a bug-themed bedroom may be right up his alley. While you may think that bugs are creepy and crawly, a bedroom with this theme doesn’t have to be. 

For the walls, select a shade of green to mimic nature and hang a wallpaper border that features whimsical bugs. Hang a mosquito net above the bed to create a fun canopy that your little tyke will enjoy. 

Set out binoculars, butterfly nets and bug identification books, which he can use for dramatic play, or even in real life. 

Nursery decor ideas are just as tricky to decide on a theme and a color to work around.

One of the best ways to decide on your nursery decorating theme is to start by looking at all the fantastic mural for nursery wall decal and sticker designs.  You get a theme, a color way, a furniture guide, everything you need once you look and find a wall mural design that you love for your baby.

Check some great wall mural for nursery wall themes and nursery decorating ideas here:
http://www.learn-how-to-do-it.com/mural-for-nursery-wall-themes.html