My Self Help: 2009

Monday, October 5, 2009

Pest Droppings in the Attic - Pest Problems

Sometimes I wonder how these large animals can get through such small holes in our homes and into our attics and crawlspace's. A few years ago, I was working on a home that had water damage to the siding that needed to be fixed. The homeowner of course didn't want anymore water damage and this required repairing roof, the original cause for the siding damage.

When I bid the job, I had no idea what I was about to run into. The first day on the job, went smoothly as I repaired some damage fascia board, but the next day I was in for a surprise, as I removed the damaged siding, I found what looked like dog poop in the attic.

I was looking around in the attic and trying to figure out how a dog could of got up there. I know that I shouldn't have, but I walked around the home inspecting it for a large hole, any holes, something that a small dog could have wiggled his way into. I got my latter off of the truck and then went on the roof, trying to find a place where a dog could have got into the attic.

I couldn't find any holes and after wasting about an hour, I decided it was time to get back to work and since the homeowner wasn't there, I couldn't show him my new findings or ask him any questions. I cleaned up the mess and repaired the water damaged siding, but in the back of my head I kept thinking about how in the heck a dog got up in the attic.

To make a short story even shorter, when the homeowner arrived home that day, I showed him my findings and he informed me that he didn't have a dog. He did however inform me that he has been hearing something walking around in his attic for about a year now. He had a pretty good idea that they were raccoons.

I told him, that I had inspected his home and only found one small hole on top of his roof underneath the roof eave, but there's no way that a small raccoon could fit through that hole. He told me that you would be surprised, what these animals were capable of squeezing into and out of.

Well that's about it, the mystery was solved, I repaired the small hole in the attic and have never heard from the homeowner again. Hopefully that meant I did my job well and not that he was embarrassed about the poop in the attic.

Pest Control Ideas, House Pest Pictures

Greg Vandenberge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

Tile Grouting Tips For Your Bathrooms, Kitchens and Floors

Isn't tile grouting supposed to be simple, if you read the directions and watch a couple of videos? What could make tile grouting so difficult? Grouting your tile isn't that difficult, by the time you're done reading this article, you should have a pretty good idea how to grout your floors, bathrooms, kitchens and anything else that requires tile.

I used to have problems grouting tile, but after I read the directions, I became a grouting wizard. This sounds hard to believe, but after reading the directions on the tile grout bag, I became a grout master. I know, you the type of person who never read the directions, you simply add water, mix and start grouting.

It's time to change your thinking about, whether or not the directions will be helpful. Whether it's about grouting your bathroom floor or putting together your home barbecued. I read one thing on the grout bag and it changed my entire grouting career.

The grout should slake. After you're done mixing the grout, you should wait between five and 10 minutes to let the moisture soak into the grout mix. Do this once, and you will never go back to mixing your grout and applying it, as quickly as possible after it has been mixed.

For more information on grouting, remodeling or home repairs, I would recommend reading books on home improvement and home repairs. Some of these books can make a big difference in your home improvement abilities as a handyman. I would also recommend reading more articles, there's plenty of information about tile and grouting, all over the Internet.

Click here if you are looking for some more Bathroom Remodeling Ideas

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Sunday, October 4, 2009

Subfloor Damage From Poor Bathtub Installation - Read Bath Tub Fixture Manuals

You should never under estimate the amount of damage that water can do to your wood subfloor. Especially if this wood is underneath your bathtub. If the bathtub is not installed properly, you could find yourself replacing the wood underneath, within a short period of time. This repair is not uncommon and as more homeowners and handyman seemed to be doing projects like these, without the proper experience, it's becoming even more common.

I wish I had a solution to the problem, however, I don't. The best advice I could give anyone who is going to be involved in any home remodeling project, would be to get some books on what ever task you are about to undertake and read all of the information that you possibly can about the products you are going to be installing. This is extremely helpful for anyone who has never installed a bathtub or any bathtub fixtures.

If the product fails and was installed properly, the manufacturer should be responsible for the water damage. I have been reading the manufacturer's installation manuals for quite some time now and every once in a while, I find something that is of great value to me and I get to pass it on to my readers. That's what I'm doing right now.

Whether you want to remodel your bathroom to save money or you want to accomplish a task that you haven't done yet. I would recommend, taking the time to understand, exactly how the water flows off of and on to another section of the bath tub or shower on its way to the drain. Understanding the basics of bathroom remodeling can save you big money in the future.

Save yourself some money and make sure that you install your bathtubs properly. Taking a little time before you start to read the bath tub fixture manuals, can save you some money and grief in the future.

Find More Facts On Home Water Damage.

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Don't Let This Happen to You - Home Computer Electrical Damage

If you've read any of my other articles, you know that I am always coming up with great ideas, tips and even a couple of stories that can save homeowners lots of money. Here's another one of those stories, that involves a friend of mine who asked me if I could fix his outdoor electrical outlet.

I was over at his house one day, and told him that I could probably fix the electrical outlet and if we needed any parts, we could run down to the lumber yard and pick them up and his problem would be solved within a few hours. This two hour repair was about to cost him the hard drive on his computer, but neither one of us had any idea what was about to happen.

We each agreed to give it a shot, I told him to go over to the electrical panel and turn off the breaker that went to his outdoor shed. He proceeded to turn off the breaker and yelled out," It's off, try it." I plugged in an electric drill and it was still working, as he was walking around the corner, towards me, I showed him that the drill was still on and he hadn't turned off the right electrical breaker.

He went back and turned off a couple of more electrical breakers and the drill was still running. Now he frantically started to turn off one electrical breaker at a time, until I yelled out," It's off, the electrical power is, off you can stop."

I repaired the electrical outlet and he went back to turn every electrical breaker back on that he had turned off. We were proud of ourselves and he now had electrical power, back to his shed and he was happy.

Now for the bad news, his computer was running and when he turned the electricity off and on, it must've done something to his computer hard drive and it now needed to be replaced.

The moral to the story, isn't that you shouldn't help your friends. It's that you should, make sure that your computers are safely off, before you attempt to do any electrical work to your home.

It wouldn't be a bad idea, to have a battery backup, for your computer, if you use it often, just in case there is an electrical failure or something happens like the story above.

If your really interested in saving money on your home electrical bills - Energy Saving Books

If you're really interested in basement remodeling and repairs, you should click on this link Home Repair Advice. Get some great home repair advice that can make a big difference on any of your home remodeling projects.

Important Do-It-Yourself Home Remodeling Advice

Often I'm asked by homeowners, if they think that they can build something on their own. Often I end up explaining the process to them and it's pretty confusing. I would like to give some homeowners and construction handyman some do-it-yourself home remodeling advice, about projects that I think they should avoid and the reason why.

1. Working on Electrical Service Boxes

I really don't recommend, anyone who lacks experience working with electrical, to be working on it at all. When it comes to the electrical service box repairs, if you don't have any experience working in this specific area, I am suggesting this to all homeowners and do-it-yourselfers, stay away from electrical service power boxes. Electricity can be extremely hazardous to your health, so take my advice, this is coming from an expert on the subject.

2. Plumbing Water Supply Lines

I don't recommend, anyone who doesn't have any experience working with plumbing water supply lines, because if they break, or if your repair, doesn't hold properly, you could destroy a large portion of your home. Picture this, you just got through putting a new faucet in, everything looks great, but it's time for you to go to your baseball game. You come home about four hours later and the entire house is flooded with water.

This kind of stuff does happen and you need to take the advice of an expert here. It has even happened to me and I understand the process, pretty good. If you plan on fixing any plumbing water supply lines, make sure that you can spend the time, keeping an eye on your new home repair. If you're going to have any problems with them, they will usually happen within the first few hours of use.

I hope this helps, sometimes it's better to pay a professional, but I can understand, every intelligent person, is interested in saving a few dollars and learning new skills.

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Do-It-Yourself Concrete Room Addition Foundation

This information can also be very important to do-it-yourselfers that will be building other projects, for future home improvements. How can a do-it-yourselfer learn to build a concrete room addition foundation? Let's get started.

The first thing that you're going to need is a set of plans or building blueprints and they should have been approved by your local building department and planning department. There should be specific architectural details, that you will need to examine carefully, to build your new concrete room addition foundation correctly.

Let's get started with the digging. You're building plans, should give you the width and depth and the exact location, of the building footings that will need to be dug. Grab your shovels and get started. Make sure that all of the dirt is removed properly, before you start to form the room addition foundation footings.

Next you will need to form the foundation. This can be done using 2 x 10 or 2 x 12 form boards. You can easily apply these form boards, in the exact location, that the building plans are suggesting. You can use 1 x 3 wood or metal stakes that can be purchased at any home improvement or lumber yard, to hold up your form boards in the correct position.

The sole purpose of the form boards, will be to hold the concrete in, once it is poured. Next you will need to install all of the rebar and building hardware, that will also be required on your building blueprints. Make sure that you examine these building plans to find the exact location, for all of your anchor bolts, hold down bolts and all of your structural rebar.

Once this is done, you're ready to pour your concrete, but don't pour your concrete, until you have contacted your local building inspector to examine your new room addition building foundation.

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How to Find a Excellent New Home Builder

Looking for a good home builder or contractor, isn't an exact science, but hopefully, by the time you're done reading this article, you will at least have a better idea, what you will be looking for. Let's get started.

As a general contractor, the most important thing that I would be looking for any new home builder, would be experience. You can't sacrifice price for experience. If you're looking for the cheapest contractor, there's a good chance that this person will be lacking experience in home building knowledge.

How long has this person been in business? Just because you're new home builder has only been in business for five years, doesn't mean that he isn't capable of building your home. The same holds true for someone who has been in business for 30 years. Just make sure that these people have actually built homes in the past.

What is their attitude like? This is the second most important thing and I tend to focus on this more than experience, sometimes. If you don't get along with the person, you're not going to have a pleasant home building experience. If you think that there lying to you, scammers or generally don't feel comfortable with them, but they seem to have the most experience and build more homes in your area than anyone else. I wouldn't think twice about getting rid of them and finding someone else.

Last but not least, you should contact some of the people that they have worked for in the past. Talking to past clients, is going to play an important role in making your final decision. You need to find out, if these home builders, treated their clients fairly and were they generally happy with the overall outcome and performance, not only of the homebuilder, but each one of his subcontractors.

I would recommend writing out a list of questions and offering your new home builders past clients a free meal. Offer to take them out to dinner, lunch or breakfast, this way you will have their undivided attention and get the low down on your potential future home builder, it could be the best money that you ever spent.

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Greg Vandenberge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home inspection checklist to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

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How Wide Should I Make My Carport? Planning Your Next Project

Whether you live in a home with or without a garage, you might be thinking about building a new carport. You've came to the right place and by the time you're done reading this article, you should have acquired a little more valuable information for your next home remodeling project.

Some homeowners install carports in front of their garage, on the side of their homes or even in their driveway. Car ports can be built anywhere on your property, as long as you have enough room and access to these areas for a car to be parked safely.

The most important thing to remember, when building a carports, is the width that will be required to park your vehicle underneath it. You will need to allow plenty of room, so that you will be able to access your vehicle comfortably.

There are plenty of carports, all over the country that are built right next to something, like a retaining wall, the side of your home or even another garage. I myself have parked in carports that were too small and over a period of time became an annoying inconvenience.

The minimum width that I would build any carport would be 10 foot wide, if you're going to build your carport next to a building, I would suggest that you park your car, open your door and measure the width of your car, with your door open.

This will give you a comfortable width for building your new carport. This is the best advice I could give anyone, who is planning on building a carport.

Garage Building Tips

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Saturday, October 3, 2009

Basic Home Electrical Wiring - For the Do it Yourself Home Electrician

The Green Bay Packers were one of the most successful football teams and Vince Lombardi said something to them that I will never forget," This is a football." All the football players laughed and he said that we're going to start with the basics and that's what I'm going to do, with this article.

Let's start with our electrical wire, the two most common electrical wire sizes, that will be used in most homes, will be 14 and 12 gauge electrical wire. Let's clear something up, right off the bat, the smaller the number, the larger the wire. In other words a 12 gauge electrical wire is a little bit larger and will carry more electricity, for longer distances than a 14 gauge wire.

What about electrical outlet plugs? These plugs are usually the same, except for the fact that they come in different colors. When I said that most electrical plugs are the same, I'm talking about your standard wall outlet plug. There are different electrical plugs that will be used for air conditioners and some kitchen appliances like 220 Volt electric stoves and ovens.

What about your home's light switches? Your standard two way light switch will usually turn a one light on or a group of lights on, from one location. A three way light switch will usually turn one light on or a group of lights on from two different locations. A four way light switch, will usually turn one light or a group of lights on from three different locations.

It doesn't get any more basic than that. I hope this gives you a better understanding about your home's electrical system.

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Plywood Roof Sheeting - Roof Framing Trade Secrets

Most framing contractor's look at the building plans and order all of the material, according to those that are specified on the plans. This works out fine, and can often save you money, but rarely produces the best home that you could possibly frame.

As a professional framing contractor, I would like to share one of my house framing tips with you. Most plans require half-inch plywood or oriented strand board as their roof sheeting. This product is fine and if you're building a lot of homes, you're not going to have the choice. Ordering larger sized plywood could cost you thousands of dollars, especially if you're building a lot of homes.

However, if your framing or building a home for someone or even yourself, you might want to take my advice and think twice about it, before ordering the roof sheeting. Half-inch plywood, works okay for 16 inch on center roof rafters or engineered truss roofing systems. It doesn't work well on 24 inch on center roof rafters spacing.

It is usually flimsy and weak at the center point, directly in between the 24 inch roof rafter bays. If you're going to use the half-inch plywood, I would recommend using plywood clips that are relatively inexpensive and can be placed in the direct center of each roof rafter bay on each sheet of plywood. These can be purchased at most home improvement centers or lumber yards.

The other alternative, and this is what I recommend, would be to use 5/8 inch plywood. This plywood works great for 24 inch on center roof rafters and you will have a nice sturdy roof to walk on, while roofing your home.

I have actually seen people step through the flimsy plywood, while lifting heavy roof tiles and bundles of composition roof shingles. Experienced roofers try to walk directly on top of the roof rafters, when loading their roof shingles or even carrying them on the roof.

If you're a home builder and your concern is about making a profit, you will need to use the half-inch plywood. If you want to build a superior roof, use the 5/8 of an inch plywood.

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Retaining Walls Suffer From Moisture Problems

Whether you're driving down the road or through a neighborhood and you notice a retaining wall that has large cracks in it, or is severely discolored, or one that has white calcium deposits from moisture covering the entire wall, you've got problems with moisture.

The retaining wall is designed to hold the dirt back, that's it's sole purpose. It's not going to hold any moisture back unless someone has installed a waterproofing membrane to separate the soil from the concrete block wall. If the soil isn't ever going to get wet, then you probably don't need to waterproof the retaining wall.

However that's normally not going to be the case. So we need to waterproof the interior of our retaining walls to eliminate future moisture problems that could eventually, deteriorate as moisture starts to accumulate, inside of our block wall for a longer periods of time.

If you don't know anything about waterproofing, I would suggest that you hire a waterproofing expert. Waterproofing looks easier than it actually is, and might be out of your scope of work.

I'm not going to suggest that you use waterproofing paints, because I haven't seen great results with these products. However, if you're not that concerned about your retaining wall and are looking for a cheaper way to apply any waterproofing materials, these paints might not be a bad idea. Sometimes, Something is better than nothing.

If you live in a relatively dry climate, it might not be necessary to waterproof your retaining walls. But if you live in a damp or moist area, especially an area where the ground is moist all year round or more than six months out of the year, I would suggest that you waterproof the back of your retaining walls.

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Dryer Vent In Basement Window.

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10 Things a Homeowner Won't Tell a Contractor - Common Courtesy

I've been a contractor in the state of California for over 20 years and there are some things that a homeowner won't tell a contractor. These are a few things that a contractor might want to hear, but a reluctant homeowner, might have second thoughts telling their contractors how they really feel.

1. We are happy with all of the work that you did in a timely manner and we appreciate your services.

2. We are happy with the way you performed your construction tasks, efficiently and we appreciate your services.

3. The work was done by a true professional and we would recommend you to any one of our friends.

4. The payment plan that you created in the contract worked out perfectly and never made us feel uncomfortable. It never seemed like you had too much of our money or we were putting you in a bad spot financially.

5. Thanks for keeping the job clean, it meant a lot to us, because we have seen other construction jobs that look like a tornado ran through them.

6. Thanks for helping us with our design. Working with your contractor on a daily, weekly or monthly basis can be frustrating or joyful. Let the contractor know either way how you are really feeling.

7. You and your crew are extremely hard-working and we appreciate the simple fact that you didn't come to work late or leave early.

8. Thanks for the reasonable priced estimate on our project. You helped us say a lot of money and we appreciate that sincerely.

9. Thanks for doing the extra work at a reasonable price. You could have gouged us at certain times, but you chose to be fair and work things out, in a way that would benefit both of us.

10. This one is the most important and often overlooked by homeowners and it's simple and easy to do. Thanks for doing what you said you were going to do and actually doing it.

Just a simple thank you and paying them on time, for a service well done is enough for most contractors. However, a little common courtesy can go a long way, even in the construction industry.

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Building Codes - Stairway Construction

The stair building code was created for building safety. Before the building code and local city enforcement (Building Inspectors), anyone could build a house. This meant Uncle Earl who had just watched a couple of his friends build a house down the street construct some sort of a dwelling. The next step for Earl would be to help these guys for a day and now he is a professional home builder. You get the point.

Stair Building Codes create the safety needed for one of the most hazardous areas of your home. You might know someone who has fallen down a stairway?

I lived in a house I built for 15 years and I redesigned the stairs from a winder design to a T shaped set of stairs. Both sets of stairs were built using the local stair building code for my city.

Wow I could not believe how many times my family members fell down the stairs. I even fell down once. I was amazed. When I switched from the winder to the T shaped stairway there were less accidents. My point is that even using the stair building codes this is a dangerous part of your house.

Having a professional stair builder install your stairs is great advice. Take it. For example this happened to me on quite a few jobs. I get a set of plans from a architect who has been designing houses for over 40 years. I looked at the stairway to find out that he has designed a stairway that is too small for the length of this part of the home. If I build the stairs using the plans that by the way were approved from the local building department, I could have a problem.

You are probably asking yourself how does this happen. Aren't these people experienced professionals. Of course they are. They probably have the U.B.C. (Uniform Building Code) in their office somewhere. Everyone makes mistakes here and there but this is one area of the home where safety is a big concern.

Just look at it like this. The stair building code was designed to improve the safety and reduce the number of accidents while using the stairs. Over the years I have seen stairs poorly designed and constructed. These stairs create problems for the owners of the buildings not just the people that use them. Did I mention lawsuits. This is one area where a lawyer will have a field day.

As a building professional I advise you to use the stair building code first for safety and second to avoid lawsuits. Get an idea from some of the pictures I have taken over the years on problems with stair building.

Use common sense while building or remodeling your home. It goes a long way.

Greg Vandenberge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more building stairs books and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry. Stair Building Articles

Friday, October 2, 2009

Avoiding Mistakes For Do-It-Yourselfers - Drain Clearing

The other day I was in a popular home improvement center picking up some irrigation parts for our house, when I was ease dropping on a conversation between an older man and one of the stores representatives. The man explained to the so-called in house plumbing expert that he had a clogged drain and was looking for a product that could be poured into the drain and solve his problems.

They were both standing in front of the liquid plumber selection of fine products(that was a joke). What product do you recommend the older man asked. The do-it-yourselfer plumbing expert answered by pointing to a product that he recommended, this seems to do a pretty good job at clearing drains. The older man, having been around the block before, a little more educated than he was a few years ago, from his previous purchases of a product that claimed to perform a task, but didn't.

If this was a young man or woman, I would have waited until the home improvement specialist left the area and then, I would've explained who I was, and my experience with a few of these products. However, I felt that this man, who looked like he was in his late 60s or early 70s, should've known better. I chose the let him help the economy with his purchase. I guess in a sense, I was doing my good deed for the day.

Their conversation soon ended as the in-house plumbing expert left to advise another customer, hopefully on something that he actually knew something about. The older gentleman selected a different product and quickly scaned the area to make sure that the person who had assisted him wasn't around as he scampered off in a hurry.

Here's a quick tip on how to avoid mistakes as a do-it-yourselfer. Don't assume that liquid drain cleaning products will solve your problem. Try not to get caught up in your home improvement advisers solution to your problem. I have watched them sell products to unsuspecting customers and even had them try to sell me something that didn't work.

I personally, have never had any luck unclogging any drain pipes with any liquid drain cleaner. I don't know if my message is loud and clear here and hope that anyone who has gotten this far, reading the article will not believe everything that they read, because the book or product says professional plumbing expert or listen to someone because they're wearing a shirt that says ask me, I'm a home improvement expert.

If you choose to ignore my advice, know this, you will be forever doomed to repeat the mistakes that others have made before you.

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Greg Vandenberge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more information on plumbing check out our house plumbing books

Fixing Ceiling Cracks - Home Repair Advice

It's not uncommon to find cracks in your plaster or drywall ceilings. It's not uncommon to find cracks in your wood ceilings either, but this article is about plaster or drywall ceilings that have small or large cracks in them and what actually causes the cracks and how you can repair them.

Believe it or not, most cracks in your ceilings and in your walls, on any drywall or plaster home interiors, are going to be the direct result of structural movement within the house. This could be from a small earthquake, the framing components are starting to shrink, as the lumber starts to dry it out or it could even be from your house settling. Larger cracks might signify problems with your foundation or even your soil.

If you have a large crack in your ceiling, and this would be something that you could stick a quarter into, you could have a structural problem and I would recommend contacting a home repair contractor in your area to evaluate your situation.

You realize that you have cracks in your ceilings and they're not very big, how do you repair them. The easiest way would be to apply a paintable caulking into the cracks and repaint the area. This could save you some frustration in the future, especially if the crack starts to become larger.

The best way to fix the crack, would be to apply some fiberglass drywall tape and then apply a standard drywall joint compound to finish the ceiling correctly. If your ceiling has acoustic or wall texture, you will need to reapply to finish over these areas to match your existing ceiling correctly.

If you have hairline cracks, I wouldn't even worry about them, unless they become larger. However, you could always apply a little bit of caulking and repaint them.

I would like to remind you something that I already said before in this article, if the cracks are larger than the width of a quarter, you might want to contact a building professional. You could have some serious structural damage occurring in your foundation or framing.

Ceiling Repair Advice and Tips

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Plumbing Problems and Solutions - Repair Manuals

If you've owned a home for over 20 years, there's a very good chance, that you've had a water pipe break, a drainpipe clogged, a toilet that wouldn't flush right, or a water leak that damaged part of the home. If you don't know, what you're looking for and you have no idea what damage can be done, over time, this could mean trouble for the homeowner.

Plumbing problems like these have been around and will be around for many years. Knowing what to do about them, how to repair them and what materials will be needed, can be found in plumbing repair manuals for books. How would you like to have a professional plumber to advise you on your plumbing repairs. What if I told you that you could have a plumbing professional on hand at all times. Is this something that you might be interested in.

Well I can't guarantee that, so let's forget about what I just said and go to the next best thing. Plumbing repair manuals are full of tips and advice that when needed can sometimes be priceless. If water is leaking from the ceiling in your home and you have no idea, where the water is coming from or how to stop it from leaking, any information could be priceless and I mean priceless.

Plumbers, usually charge over $100 an hour for emergency service. I've seen plumbers come to peoples homes, turn the water off to the house, stop the water from leaking and now it is no longer an emergency. The plumber quickly pulls out an invoice for the plumbing repairs and it could be over $1000, if you decide that this is ridiculous and choose not to pay it, the plumber can hand you a bill for stopping the water leak. Some of these bills are what I would consider quite ridiculous, for just shutting the water off.

You're not paying the plumber for the amount of time it took him, you're paying him for his knowledge. If you knew where to shut the water off, you wouldn't have an emergency situation and could contact a plumber during normal hours. This could save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

With a simple home repair manual or a home plumbing book, you could prepare yourself for a situation like this and other plumbing problems. Most home repair manuals have general solutions and advice and can solve most of the problems around your home. If they can't solve all of the problems, they can probably save you from major catastrophes like a water leak.

Most of the time it's not the water leak that will cost the most money, it's the damage the water will do to your furniture, carpeting, wood flooring, walls or ceilings. A little information and preparation can save you a lot of money in the long run.

Home Plumbing Books

You are free to copy this article to your site as long as you include the following resource information with an active link to my site:

Greg Vandenberge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

Do I Need a Home Inspection? - Real Estate Advice

Most home inspections today run between $300 to over $1000 and sometimes you don't really get your moneys worth. There are home inspection companies that guarantee, any problems that they miss will be repaired at their expense over a desired period of time, usually a year. It seems like, most home inspection companies are just inspecting the property and have no guarantees or liability from their inspection.

It's not a good idea to buy or sell a home without getting a home inspection from a licensed home inspector. This is like having a second opinion from someone who is usually skilled in the process. I would like to point something out to unsuspecting, potential home buyers and sellers. Sometimes a home inspection company will get a little behind in their work and need to hire other home inspectors if these home inspectors don't have any experience in the construction business or have never inspected a home before. In other words there fresh out of home inspector school. You might not get a good home inspection.

You can always ask the question, how long have you been in business?... How long have you been a home inspector?... have you ever worked in the construction business or have any skills in home building and remodeling. If the answers to these questions are satisfactory, it doesn't mean, that they're telling the truth and being sincere and could lead to problems later if they are lying to you.

Let me rephrase the question now, "Do I Need a Home Inspection" from an unqualified home inspector? Absolutely not. But how can you really tell the difference and is the report going to be worth the money that you paid for it.

What would you say, if I had the solution to your problem. How about a pre-home inspection, using a home buyers checklist? What if I could give you a check list with questions, that you could ask your home inspector? Some of these questions are not going to be part a regular inspection but should always be asked and make sure you get the answers to them, before purchasing the property.

Would you be interested now? What if I told you, for under $20, you could purchase a home buyers checklist, now for the tough question, this checklist could save you thousands of dollars and prevent you from purchasing a home with major construction problems or defects, and can be used on every house you look at.

Don't buy a home without purchasing a professional home inspection checklist. These lists of questions can save you some serious headaches and stress in the future.

Greg Vandenberge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a home buyers guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more home inspection or home building ideas.

Feng Shui Tips For Renovating Your Home - Part 2

Light plays a very important role in creating good feng shui. Dark corners in homes attract a lot of negative energy that can be harmful for the family. A brighter home is always more auspicious than a dark and gloomy one. If you were planning to renovate your house, the addition and widening of windows to let in more natural light would be a great idea. Sunlight rejuvenates the energy of a room. As much as possible, all rooms in the house should have window, especially the bedrooms. Although bedrooms are predominantly Yin areas of the home, it is inauspicious for the bedroom to be too Yin (passive and dark), as it would resemble a tomb. Having a window allows the bedroom's energy to a renewed everyday by letting in fresh air and sunlight.

On the other hand, it is also a bad idea to have too much light in the house. Floor-to-ceiling windows and glass doors tend to let in too much light. A room with too much Yang energy is also a bad idea, as it may cause restlessness and petty irritations.

A fresh coat of paint would also do wonders to the room. The walls and furniture is should be painted or cleansed regularly to get rid of accumulated negative Chi. This is the quickest and easiest way to renew the Chi of the home.

As much as possible, important areas of the home such as your bedroom should not be located next to toilets and the kitchen. If this is inevitable, at the very least, make sure your bed or work desk does not share a wall with the toilet or the stove (with the toilet and the stove on the other side of the wall).

For more practical feng shui tips visit - http://www.fengshuitipstoday.com/

Activities Grandparents Can Do With Kids

Time spent with grandparents is special for kids. There is something about the role that a grandparent plays in a child's life that just cannot be duplicated anywhere else. Time together can mean anything. There are all sorts of fantastic activities that are sure to be a good time and make some meaningful memories. Don't sit around the house when you've got your grandkids. Get out and do something you will both remember for years to come.

Go to the zoo. This is the kind of experience that never gets old. All children love to look at the animals and learn more about them. Take a trip to your local zoo. It gives you a great opportunity to get some fresh air and spend time with your grandkids while admiring wildlife you would only otherwise see on television. There is something about seeing those animals in real life that can't be beat. Just watch the wonder and joy it brings to your grandchild's face.

Take a lot of pictures. No matter what it is that you're doing when you spend time with your grandchildren, pictures are a must. It's the best way to capture and cherish memories indefinitely. Photos remain for a very long time when well cared for. Have some fun and get camera happy. It's also a nice idea for creating the ultimate personal Christmas card. Pictures can be used for fun crafts too like scrapbooks or in home made picture frames.

Go out to a movie or do some shopping together. Taking the kids out is a great way to give their parents a well deserved break. But that doesn't mean you have to sit around. Go to the park for a nature walk or see the latest movie the kids have been waiting for. You might just fun that these activities do wonders for helping you to stay young at heart.

We can all relate to times when we learned something valuable from our grandparents. They lived through times that most of us can only imagine. Take the grandkids out to a historical museum where you may have personal experience with the content inside. It's a great way to introduce them to a world they would otherwise never know. Take the opportunity to leave them with something significant, a learning lesson that came straight from someone who lived it.

Play games with your grandchildren, even video games on occasion. The best thing about it is getting on their level and being part of what they enjoy. It also will be great fun for them to have you play. Watching Grandma play Guitar Hero is something many of their friends can't claim. They will be delighted to see something so unexpected.

Let yourself feel like a kid again and try something that you would normally not do. You may be pleasantly surprised by how much fun you have. Grandchildren have a way of keeping you young and high spirited. Embrace their world and have a good time doing so.

Find helpful and creative ideas for parents and grandparents while you shop our great selection of kids furniture (including our popular safe toy boxes) and classic toys. Visit http://www.TheMagicalRockingHorse.com today!

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Feng Shui Bedroom Basics for Teens

Feng shui is a wonderful way to create improvements in your life simply by aligning the items in your bedroom. These can include your bed, your desk or computer, even your stereo.

Feng shui is a wonderful way to create improvements in your life simply by aligning the items in your bedroom. You might even find a new love as a result! Use these tips to get your room in harmony with your life.

Important Basic Feng Shui Bedroom Do's and Don'ts

DO use a compass

Stand in the middle of the room and hold the compass level and waist-high. Then make a diagram of your room, creating nine squares. Put the correct direction on each square. Now you are ready to move the items according to compass or your personal auspicious directions. (A compass only costs about $2-$5 at Wal-Mart or Target.)

Give yourself a mini-space clearing

--If you decide to use feng shui in your room, then clear out all unnecessary items and junk from your drawers, closet, and under the bed.

--Clean thoroughly by vacuuming, dusting and washing windows, ceiling fans, etc.

--Now you're ready to feng shui your room, but follow the DON'Ts below:

DON'Ts

Don't have open book shelves opposite your bed or behind you as you study. These act like knives and will encourage people "talking behind your back."

Don't have water or pictures of water (this aggravates asthma, allergies, and can encourage respiratory or sinus problems). So take out the Zen fountain or fish tank.

Don't have plants in the bedroom. Plants use up body energy in your bedroom.

BED DOs and DON'Ts

DO make sure it has the widest view of the room and entryway so you can see the door easily

DO try to sleep with the top of your head pointing in one of your personal feng shui directions (see below)

DO have a solid wall behind it (or at least curtains) vs. a window

DO make sure you cannot see a bathroom, toilet, or stairs from the bed

DON'T have the bed against a shared wall of a bathroom or toilet

DON'T have a mirror or television that reflects the bed

DON'T have your feet point out the door from your bed

Using personal feng shui: Having your head pointed in one of your auspicious directions (AD) is one of the best ways to tap good luck. Click here to calculate your personal feng shui directions. This link will tell you what directions are the best for you. Even if your room is in the Southwest portion of the house and this is not a good direction for you, you can still orient your bed so that your head points in one of your good directions.

DESK DOs and DON'Ts

DO try to place your desk in NE corner of your room

DO always sit where you can see the door and anyone entering the room easily

DO try to face one of your AD

DO keep a bright light turned on here to enhance your education luck

DO hang a lead crystal from the ceiling here, or place rock crystals in this corner of the room and in the NE corner of the desk for better study concentration

DO add a globe to this location to improve test scores and success in school

DRESSER

Place in East corner if wood

Place in West corner if metallic-colored, or if painted white, silver, or gold

Place in North if black or blue

Place in SE if green

Place in South or SW if red, orange, purple

COMPUTER, PHONE, & STEREO

Place phone in the NW corner of room to bring more helpful people into your life.

Keep stereo playing on low volume while you are away to keep energy active in your room and attract helpful people to you.

DECORATIONS, ETC.

Mirrors: Not recommended in the bedroom. If used, make sure you cannot see yourself from the bed.

Lamps: Place one in the south (fame and recognition; a lava lamp is great here!), the NE (educational luck), and the SW (to help you with your sweetie or bring one if you don't have one already -- lava lamps are also great here,too!). The lamps will energize these areas.

Pictures: Make sure are these positive images that make you happy. Violence, dark, or brooding-types of pictures are not suitable for a place of rest and relaxation.

Troubles with mom and dad? Place a happy picture of your family in the East corner of your room to help these relationships become easier and more harmonious.

Looking for a new love? Place a picture of your heart's desire in the SW to help this relationship -- or to encourage a new one relationship, place a picture of your "ideal" person here.

Bulletin boards: Hang these on the south wall of your room. Pin pictures of famous people, letters of recognition, awards, ribbons, or certificates here for more added recognition any kind of accomplishment is perfect for this location.

A light that illuminates this area is especially helpful! Place trophies on a shelf in this location for continued success and recognition. Paint this board red for an extra boost in recognition energy!

Ceiling fans: not recommended because they displace body energy while sleeping; if used, place small red dot on each blade.

Clutter: If you don't feel well or you're having troubles in your life, clear your space. Get a box and do a thorough cleaning out. This doesn't mean you have to throw things away.

Store them in the garage or attic. If after a while you don't use any of these things, then donate them to charity. Do make note of how you feel once your room is clear.

With a harmonious environment, you are sure to be more comfortable, enjoy yourself more, and do better in life. If, you have used any of these tips and found them helpful, I'd like to know about it! I'm always interested in hearing from teens who have benefited from feng shui! Drop me a note here.

Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Red Lotus Letter feng shui e-zine and is dedicated to helping her readers develop successful, prosperous, and supportive environments with feng shui. To subscribe, logon to http://www.redlotusletter.com and receive this Special Report FREE "16 Feng Shui Secrets for Greater Prosperity."

The Joy of Reading With Your Grandchildren

Spending time with your grandchildren is a wonderful way to build your relationship and make some valuable memories. There are many fantastic things that you can do together to enjoy the time you have. Reading is a very special activity that you can share with your grandchildren. Read to them at bedtime when they come to visit or schedule a regular time to sit together with a good book. Books are infinite in the ways they can benefit you and your grandchildren. Use them as a bonding tool.

Have your grandchildren bring one of their favourite stories to you for you to read together. This is a great way to learn more about the types of things they are into. When you see the latest series that has them hooked you will be able to bond over that as well as get some great gift ideas. The generation gap doesn't have to be so wide. By sharing a story you can bridge any of those gaps caused by age. None of that matters when you're bonding.

Books make fabulous gifts. They are a wonderful tool for learning. Kids learn so much when they can really get into a book that they love. Their imagination is so wide and needs to be kept active. That can be hard when they zone out on things like television. Give them a good book to keep their brains healthy and alert.

Young children always develop memories that they will carry with them throughout their adult lives. The time you spend with them today will have a significant impact on how you affect their lives and hearts. They will never forget all of the wonder, mystery and intrigue that they share with you while reading a captivating story.

Talk about the story as you go. Make sure that they understand what is being told to them. Its best only to read material to children that is appropriate for their age. Ask questions as you go and share your feelings on certain characters and plot situations. Discuss moral issues that characters are faced with to make sure that kids are on the right page when it comes to their personal views from a moral perspective.

Before you start to read to your grandchild, eliminate any distractions that may be in the room. Turn off computers and TVs and put away video games and cell phones. Distractions will take attention away from the book and despite what they may claim; kids are not known for being good multi-taskers.

Literacy is something that many kids are not getting as much of as they really need. Reading and writing skills are undervalued in this technological age and many kids are now growing up without further development in this area. By reading with your grandchildren, you could be saving them from a lifetime of poor grammar and inattention.

Visit the library together. Getting children their very own library card is a great way to inspire lifelong reading. Go together once a week to pick out a book that you would like to read together during your reading time.

Find helpful and creative ideas for parents and grandparents while you shop our great selection of kids furniture (including our popular toddler beds) and classic toys. Visit http://www.TheMagicalRockingHorse.com today!

Challenges of Ocean Front Landscaping

Planting and maintaining a garden near a large body of salt water can be quite different from your average inland garden.

If your plants are yellowing, burnt, or hard to establish, chances are they aren't the best choices for your seaside growing conditions. You may have to make some adjustments to your garden or re-think the type of plants that will grow successfully.

The five main challenges that confront oceanfront gardeners are:

1. Damage from strong winds
2. Drought
3. High salt levels in the soil
4. Sandy soil
5. Contributing to ocean pollution

Dealing With These Challenges:

Wind and Salt Spray - Plant a natural wind guard using a combination of trees and smaller shrubs in a front row. Do your research - you don't want trees that will grow large enough to block your view.

A man-made trellis may be required to supplement your natural wind break. Solid fences or brick walls work well, but may also block your view.

Ocean or Seaside Drought - Combat this problem with a thick layer of organic compost and use plants that do not require constant watering.

Salty & Sandy Soil - Salt is the most common cause of severe leaf burn and shedding leaves. It also affects the plant's ability to thrive. Choose plants that thrive in salty soils and use wind blocks to prevent the passage of salt into the soil. (See list below)

Mixing in plenty of organic compost with the soil will help improve the quality and add much needed nutrients.

Using Green Practices to Reduce Pollution - Often times the run off from ocean front gardens contributes heavily to ocean pollution. This includes waste from the yard, fertilizer, and other chemicals that seep into storm drains. In an effort to improve the quality of our gardens, these pollutants can poison fish and contaminate ground and ocean water.

Ways to alleviate this problem include:

Cover piles of organic waste, or other materials with tarps to prevent run off during rain and storms.
Do all your excavating during dry weather conditions.
Make small dams or ditches to divert runoff from storm drains.
Prevent erosion on your property by planting native plants and grasses to bind the soil.
Don't overwater. Instead employ the use of drip irrigation or soaker hoses.
Do not blow or rake leaves into storm drains or on the street.
Use organic or non-toxic fertilizers.
Store chemicals in a covered area to prevent run off.

Plants that grow well in salty, sandy soil, and don't cower from high winds include:

Trees

Acacia longifolia var. sophorae (Coast Wattle), Agonis flexuosa (Willow Myrtle), Allocasuarina littoralis (Drooping She Oak), Arbutus unedo (Irish Strawberry Tree), Callitris columellaris (Coast Cypress Pine), Cocos nucifera (Coconut Palm), Eucalyptus ficifolia (Red Flowering Gum), Olea europea (Olive), and Phoenix canariensis (Date Palm).

Shrubs

Banksia ericifolia (Heath Banksia), Brachysema lanceolata (Swan River Pea), Dodonea viscosa (Hop Bush), Leptospermum laevigatum (Coast Tea Tree), Murraya exotica (Mock Orange), Nerium oleander (Oleander), and Westringia fruticosa (Coastal Rosemary).

Groundcovers

Alyssum maritimum (Sweet Alice), Cerastium tomentosum (Snow in Summer), Osteospermum cultivars (African Daisy), and Mesembryanthemum sp. (Pigface).

Beach wormwood (Artemisia stelleriana, Z3-7)

Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa, Z4-9)

Catmints (Nepeta spp. and cvs., Z4-8)

Montauk daisy (Nipponanthemum nipponicum, Z6-10)

Salt spray rose (Rosa rugosa, Z2-9)

Sea lavender (Limonium latifolium, Z4-9)

Summersweet (Clethera alnifolia, Z3-9)

Wand flower (Gaura lindheimeri, Z6-9)

Visit PreviewNaples.com for all the tools and information you need to navigate the Naples FL real estate and greater Southwest Florida real estate market. You'll find local realty info, including details about Port Royal FL real estate.

Designing for Life - Architecture and Design Psychology

Design psychology is the use of psychology as the fundamental principle for design decisions in architecture and interior design. Cultural patterns of architecture reveal many fundamental principles of design psychology. A group of architects led by Christopher Alexander compiled what they learned about architecture around the world into a book called A Pattern Language (1977, Oxford University Press). This book discusses virtually every aspect of buildings including entrances, windows, hallways, fireplaces, kitchens, sleeping areas, home offices and workshops, walls, and storage spaces.

The research done by these architects revealed the need for people of all cultures to feel safe and nurtured in their homes, neighborhoods and towns. Simple patterns for positive environments included things like designing rooms to have light coming in from at least two sides and more than one entrance or exit if possible. Our eyes are built to handle visual processing with multiple light sources rather than a light from a single direction. This makes seeing more difficult in environments where light is coming from only one direction. In addition, we have an instinctual need for an escape route and recoil psychologically when confronted with cave-like rooms where we may feel trapped.

A closely related field to design psychology is proxemics, the study of cultural differences in personal boundaries and space requirements. Proxemics is intimately connected to design psychology and the placement of physical dividers such as doors and walls. In offices and homes alike, a social order is established by proximity. The offices that are the most distant from the waiting room and closest to the boss are for the most important staff members. Likewise, master bedrooms are usually the most distant from shared spaces such as entryways and living rooms. The rooms closest to the kitchen, family room and gathering areas are for those lowest on the totem pole, usually the children.

Proxemics also has much to do with issues of privacy. Those who have important activities and conversations to engage in need to have their space. When material dividers aren't available, visual and auditory clues can serve to define boundaries. Signs, frosted glass, bells and intercoms can serve to separate places where others are welcome and places where they must have permission to enter.

Design psychology and feng shui share many principles. Although the two approaches often come to the same conclusions, they differ in their foundations. Feng shui practice generally relies on a combination of tradition and intuition and design psychology generally relies on a research model. It could be argued that feng shui is a right-brain approach and design psychology is a left-brain approach. Perhaps a combination of these approaches with equal measures of common sense and practicality will yield the best solutions for architectural environments that meet both the basic and higher needs of their inhabitants.

Kathleen Karlsen, MA is an artist, writer and design consultant residing in Bozeman, Montana. Fine art and unique gifts by Kathleen and other selected artists can be found at http://www.livingartsoriginals.com Visit us today to find a wonderful addition to your home decor or a gift for someone special! For an extensive article about flower symbolism see http://www.livingartsoriginals.com/infoflowersymbolism.htm To see a selection of available flower paintings, please visit http://www.livingartsoriginals.com/originalfloralart.htm

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Home - It's More Than a Holiday Feeling

We all have our own sense of originality, our own sense of creativity. The key is to embrace those qualities in ourselves and express them freely. When we honor ourselves and pay attention to what really resonates with us, we're able to create a home that's not only a reflection of our ideal environment, it's also a reflection of who we really are. And a home that reflects who you are is a home that embraces you with comfort and warmth year round, not just on the holidays!

Step #1

Upon entering your home, do you feel like you belong there?
How do you feel when you step into your home?

Does your energy rise, fall or stay the same?

Do you feel a sense of comfort and welcome, an overriding sense of this as your home - not just the house you live in? Or do you find yourself going through the house noticing everything that's wrong, taking notes on what needs improvement or change?

If you find yourself overwhelmed with things that need to be done, take a step back, breathe and focus on prioritizing your projects. It's OK to do things in phases, in fact, I recommend it! Don't lose hope, tackling your projects a step at a time makes visualizing the entire project easier and when it's easier we're far more likely to do it.

Step #2

Does your home's layout, the way the rooms are placed in relationship to one another, move you gently from room to room, flowing naturally and easily? Or do you find yourself hesitating before moving from one area to the next?

When our homes are configured to allow gentle movement from one area to the next, we feel more comfortable, more at ease. When we have to think about how to get from one area to the next, or find that we wind up somewhere other than where we intended, our home is not configured in a way that honors the natural traffic flow.

To correct this, we can position our furnishings so that they open up to us as we enter each room, creating the feeling of someone opening their arms to you in greeting. Another suggestion would be to change the use of your rooms so that they accommodate your needs rather than the meanings given to them at time of building.

For example: my 'living room' is actually my entertainment room and it is where I have my dining room table. This placement makes full use of the dramatic aspects of this room and positions it so that those dining have full view of the kitchen. This usage makes much more sense than the area the builder has designated as the dining room.

Step #3

When incorporating the principles of Feng Shui into your home evaluations, some important questions to ask yourself are:

Is there a sense of warmth and comfort when I think of my home?

Am I comfortable in this space?

Am I experiencing a sense of abundance in my life?

Am I satisfied with the quality of my life?

Are my relationships nurturing, loving and supportive?

If you can answer 'yes' to each of those questions, your home is probably pretty comfortable. It may be in need of some adjustments and improvements, but overall things are going well for you. If this is your situation, reinforce what's working and enhance those areas that can use improvement.

Our homes are so much more than four walls. Our homes are living, breathing, vibrant places. They can be places of nurture and support if we allow it. If you'd like your house to be a home, invest in yourself and your living space. Your results are a direct reflection of your efforts, embrace your desires.

Create a home for your soul - not just a home for the holidays.

Feng Shui Tips

1. Review your holiday decorations.This year, instead of putting out everything, put out only those items that you really love, items that truly create a sense of comfort for you. The beauty of collections is truly experienced when we view them selectively. When we view our collections in small arrangements, or in phases, we are better able to really appreciate each item.

2. View your belongings and rooms with a fresh perspective. Look past current and previous usage to how your rooms and things can be adapted to suit your actual needs, now. Allow yourself the freedom to create living spaces that support your needs and desires.

3. Be creative, mix things up. We tend to view our belongings in groups, items we've always placed together remain together. Unleash your creativity, separate the dining room table from the china cabinet, move one of your matching chairs out of the living room and into your study or bedroom! Don't limit yourself to the way it's always been. Explore the possibilities.

Feng Shui Teacher and Entrepreneur Laurie Bornstein, "The Feng Shui Marketing Queen" is the author and creator of 'Simple Feng Shui Series', her FREE monthly ezine filled with articles and tips on how to live and work in balance, visit http://www.fengshuimarketingqueen.com to learn more.

Buffalo Steak Try Something New

When looking for something altogether new and unusual to put on the grill, buffalo steak has a familiar flavor that is just unusual enough to make itself memorable. Very similar to beef it has a comforting familiarity. However, it also has a certain something that people notice and will look forward to having again. Which explains why buffalo steak is becoming a popular alternative to beef.

Buffalo steak is usually described as having a sweeter flavor than beef, giving it an enjoyably distinctive taste. It is flavorful without being gamey, it is tender without being greasy, and it can be prepared just like steak. In fact, because buffalos and cows have essentially the same muscle groups, the cuts of meat are the same as you would find with beef. So, when you select a buffalo steak, you will know exactly what to expect from your meal.

However, the flavor is not the only reason to try buffalo steak. In fact, one of the best reasons to try buffalo steak is the fact that it is actually very good for you. Because buffalo is much lower in fat than beef or pork, buffalo steak is much easier on your body than other forms of red meat. Buffalo is remarkably lean for red meat, allowing people to feel much better about their selection of meat. So even the healthy crowd can feel good about choosing buffalo.

In fact, buffalo is so lean that you have to be careful with it when you cook it. Because fat is an insulator, it makes beef cook slowly. But, since buffalo is a very lean animal, the meat is very low in fat and, therefore, much healthier. Which also means that you need to be careful cooking a buffalo steak, since it will cook much faster than beef. So you should always be careful with buffalo on the grill or in the oven.

While the low fat and low cholesterol of buffalo steak is attractive, modern concerns about meat make buffalo even more attractive. Because buffalo graze on the free range, they are not as susceptible to mad cow disease as, lets say, cows. This is because buffalo are allowed to go out onto the prairies and eat grass like normal herbivores, rather than eat cow renderings, such as regular cattle. And buffalo do not defecate in the streams and ponds where they drink, making them that much more sanitary. And, even more, they dont require the steroids and antibiotics that cattle require, since buffalo tend to grow much larger than cows and are much more resistant to disease. Thus, buffalo are permitted to grow on their own and dont require as many chemicals to stay healthy. Which means that buffalo steak is not as filled with chemicals as beef, making it a meat that is almost untainted by modern science.

Admittedly, buffalo steak is not the least expensive meat available. But, when you consider the fact that buffalo is a very healthy, very tasty alternative to beef, it is clearly an alternative worth exploring. So, if you are in the mood to stretch out and try something new, exciting, and well worth the effort, give a buffalo steak a try and see what a difference it can make.

http://steaki.com/
Everything about steaks from cooking steaks, ordering them by mail, preparing steaks and much more including favorite recipes.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Wedding Cookies

A wedding is probably one of the most important times in ones lifetime, coming together with someone very special, it is also the responsibility of the bride and groom to make sure that everyone at their wedding has a wonderful time and a wonderful meal.

In years past and in years to come the wedding cake is the focal point second to the bride of course at a wedding, it is displayed for everyone to see and knowing that they were going to get a piece of this magnificent masterpiece brings excitement to a persons taste buds.

People have almost forgotten the importance of the wedding cookie, sure a piece of cake is quite wonderful but you only get a tiny piece of it and then its done but a wedding cookie you can have several. At one time a wedding cookie was a cookie in no particular shape or form as long as it was good, today people want something more, something different, something that most people dont think of, now we come to the real wedding cookie, a cookie in the shape of a wedding cake and decorated to look a such, each cookie is wrapped and tied with a beautiful bow.

Each person at the wedding will receive one of these wonderful and delicious cookies, some of these magnificent pieces are even monogrammed with the brides and grooms initials, this is a true wedding cookies.

Ann Marie Krause has been making cookies for over 30 years, at persent I am retired, for over 23 years I owned a Gourmet Bakery called The Cheese Confectioner.You can visit my site at http://www.annsgoodies.com.

NOTE: You are welcome to reprint this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the about the author info at the end).

Ackee and Saltfish - Jamaica's National Dish

Ackee is the national fruit of Jamaica; ackee and saltfish is the national dish. The ackee tree grows in various places in the world where it has many non-edible uses but it appears to be used for food only in Jamaica.

Ackee trees originated from West Africa in the 1700s aboard slave ships. Its botanical name is Blighia sapida, named for Captain William Bligh who introduced this strange plant to England in the 18th century. The whole ackee fruit is not edible because the unripe fruit contains toxins. The outer skin of an ackee starts off as a yellowish-green color and turns red as it ripens. When ripe, the ackee breaks open naturally while still on the tree. Inside this unusual fruit are three very large shiny black seeds, each surrounded by a creamy yellow "aril" (almost like a fleshy bag covering each seed). These fleshy arils are the only part of the fruit you can eat.

Once ripe, the big shiny seeds are thrown away along with the outer part of the ackee. The remaining golden arils are then carefully cleaned, boiled and cooked properly. Usually you will find it sauteed with onions, tomatoes and dried, salted codfish to create Jamaica's delicious national dish, ackee and saltfish. This is a Sunday breakfast favorite, often served with roasted breadfruit and, if you didn't know better, looks almost like scrambled eggs on your plate!

If eaten before it's ripe, ackee is poisonous. It contains Hypoglycins A & B which can cause what is known as Jamaican Vomiting Sickness, a type of fatal hypoglycemia which triggers vomiting and seizures. This is quite rare, however, because Jamaicans know how to properly harvest and prepare ackee! And, in fact, ackee is very nutritious. It contains a lot of protein, unsaturated fats, and is rich in essential fatty acids, zinc and vitamin A.

If you just can't get to Jamaica to enjoy this beloved delicacy, canned ackee is a major export of Jamaica, at more than US$10 million in value, and remains popular in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and wherever there are large communities of Jamaicans. While U.S. imports were banned for many years, the FDA now certifies ackee processors and carefully inspects their final product. Jamaica's processing plants vigilantly monitor the quality, ripeness and hypoglycin levels of the fruit they purchase from growers. Today, Jamaica has competition from Mexico, Costa Rica, Florida, and other Caribbean islands that have recognized the nutritional value of the fruit as well as its mounting value as an export product.

Visit http://www.keepitjiggy.com for loads of information about Jamaica, its history, its food, travel information reggae music, its artists, and resources for locating those hard-to-find collectibles in the genre.

Feng Shui Tips For Your Home Office

According to the US Census, about half of all business in the United States are run from the home. Since so many people are working from home at least part of the time, it makes sense to try and keep things running smoothly and harmoniously. To that end, here are some Feng Shui Tips for your home office.

Youll need your compass for some of these tips. Placing items and rooms properly is one of the keys to proper Feng Shui.

If you are able to choose the location of your home office, the best place for it to be is in the North end of your home. The North Sector is often called the Career Sector. If that is unavailable, the Southwest corner is the Wealth Sector, the Northeast is the Skills and Talent Sector, and finally the South is the Fame and Recognition Sector. Do your best to locate your home office in one of those sectors, with the North being the most desirable, and the South being the least.

Some other general Feng Shui Tips for objects within your home office are:

1) Always sit so that there is a solid wall behind your back. This ensures you have support in your life. Never sit with your back to the window.

2) Always place the fax machine, telephone, computers, and cash registers in the southeast wealth sector to attract more prospective business.

3) Arrange your desk to have a clear view of the door, preferably facing the door. If it is impossible to arrange, hang a small mirror so that you can see the doors reflection.

4) Never put a shelf over your desk. The shelf symbolizes the burdens of the world coming down upon you.

5) Try and keep sharp items such as paper cutters, scissors, or the sharp corner of a machine away from your desk. Make sure they are not pointing at the desk. Keep as many sharp objects as possible hidden from view in a drawer or closet. The sharp edges symbolize the cutting of a knife which is a disapproving finger pointing at you.

6) Make sure that you can walk completely around your desk so that your workmates and workload do not cramp you.

7) Avoid clutter at all times and at all costs! Do not have an in or out tray on your desk. Keep only on your desk what is necessary for what you are doing at the moment.

8) Dont keep cactus plants in your office. The needles of the cactus plants are thought to create negative energy flow.

9) Never arrange your desk in such a way that if the door swings open it will open into your desk. This will cause you to be faced with unexpected situations. If the door jams against your desk, it can block your prosperity.

10) If there are two doors in your office, dont place your desk between them. The good Chi will pass right by you and out the other door.

As one final Feng Shui tip for your home office, a tabletop fountain made of bamboo or flat round stones is always good in the southeast corner to increase prosperity. If your company has a sign or logo, place it in the southeast corner of the office as well. Make good use of these Feng Shui tips and may you be showered with many blessings.

Charles Chang is a Feng Shui enthusiast and author. He enjoys helping others with feng shui tips through his articles and website.

Stairways And Feng Shui

If you are looking for a new home, you may be thinking of the usual aspects of feng shui when evaluating potential homes - the shape of the home, where the various rooms are located, the prominence of your front door and entryway etc. However, one element that people often overlook is the stairway.

What does a stairway have to do with feng shui? Well, stairways are conduits of energy - that is, the energy you have created inside your living space travels along stairways. You will want to try to avoid homes with a couple of different stairway scenarios:

First, try to avoid homes that have stairways opposite the front door. In this scenario, the positive energy within your home will be flowing right out your front door, which can create a draining feeling in your home.

Second, a home with a spiral staircase can create energy challenges in a home. Energy moves along a spiral staircase in corkscrew fashion - this translates to a feeling of chaos in your living space.

However, if you find a home you like that has either of these features, all is not lost. There are ways that you can deal with either of these situations. If you have a staircase opposite a front door, you can place a mirror on the inside of your front door - a bagua mirror (an octagonal mirror with a painted frame) works especially well for this. A mirror will help to reflect the energy and keep it from flowing out of your home. You can also hang a crystal at the top of the stairs, which will help to retain the positive energy and keep it from flowing down the stairway.

If you are looking at a home with a spiral staircase, you can also use a hanging crystal to help calm the energy in this space. Also, try placing potted plants underneath the staircase - this will bring in the grounding element of earth and help to make the energy in that area more peaceful.

So while you don't have to let a challenging stairway situation keep you from buying a particular home, it is a good idea to keep feng shui solutions for this in mind while you are shopping for your next home, so that you will be able to deal with a stairway challenge if you find that a home is otherwise perfect for you.

FEEL FREE TO USE THIS ARTICLE! And, if you do, include this statement:

Linda Binns shows you how to be more successful in all areas of your life by working with your environment. She is giving away FREE Feng Shui Success Secrets. To get access to these powerful and practical secrets that can help you transform your life go to http://www.fengshuiexplained.com now.

Linda Binns is author of Feng Shui for Your Relationships: Changing Your Environment to Create Better Relationships. She has been a Feng Shui Practitioner, Author, Speaker and teacher for over 10 years. She has appeared internationally on television and radio and in local publications. Linda is also the founder of The Feng Shui Success Institute which teaches in-depth Feng Shui training and practitioner certification.

Food and Cooking

We can never live without food. Some peoples have much food and some others have only some food, but it is always around when one needs it. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the main squares, are what we always have daily. We can also have them in restaurants if we want to.
There are fancy restaurants which serve expensive and not-so-big dishes and wines. They remind me of a movie about a cartoon rat who loves cooking all the time. There are also bars that obviously serve liquor and appetizers. Foreign restaurants, like Mexican, Chinese, and Italian, that serve their own dishes people love all the time. Finally there are fast food restaurants that serve famously named food and people love it all their lives.

Dishes and meals can take a lot of know-how, work, and time to prepare. The quality of a dish depends on the recipe, ingredients chosen, and precise timing so if it is done wrong, the dish is considered a bad one by the taste and appearance. For some eateries, the look may not matter, the costly ones focus on both look and taste. The fancy restaurants want to make their dishes perfect and flawless, which is kind of snobby in my opinion.

There are also cookbooks which allow families to prepare mostly dinners. These cookbooks would have more or less than one hundred recipes by chapter alphabetically. There is spaghetti, pizza, hamburgers, steak, and many more. Each person has dishes of his or her own to enjoy. There are those for the children as well.

If you want to know mor about food, then go to http://www.bill-findyourdream.blogspot.com

Confessions of a School-Supply Junkie

I have to confess it - I am an office supply store junkie. When my children were in elementary school and it was late August, other parents were looking forward to getting their kids back to school. Most of them were busy shopping for back-to-school clothing, or doing the last minute rounds of dentist appointments, hair cuts etc. Meanwhile I was happily drifting round the stationery store, three class lists in hand.

I loved those crisp, fresh notebooks, some with wide lines, some with regular lines, some with half the page blank for drawings. Oh, who could resist those beautiful colors, crayons for the little ones, pencil crayons for the older kids. I would pick out boxes of shiny new pencils and lovingly sharpen them all once home.

Well, time goes by, and even though I insisted on shopping for supplies through high school and even into college years, the sad time came when no-one in the family needed me to buy school supplies any longer.

At last came new hope. My grandchildren reached school age. My school teacher daughter thought I was crazy when I pleaded to be allowed to do the school supply shopping - no luck there, my granddaughter's school sells pre-packed kits. My other, still-a-student-herself daughter was delighted to let me buy the school supplies for my grandson and I was in business once more.

However, for all you school supply lovers out there (surely I can't be the only one!), let me give you some advice. Never take a six year old with you when shopping for school supplies. I thought my grandson would have a ball, shopping for his Grade 2 kit. I didn't bargain for all the bright shiny things the middle and high school students need. After many "no"s - "no you don't need a geometry set, it is not on your list. No, you only need crayons, not color markers. No, there is no calculator on your list......." I had a rather disappointed little boy on my hands. A quick trip to his favorite burger joint soon fixed that - wonderful how easy it is to distract a six year old!

Well, last year he started Grade 3 in a new school. This time I went to an office supply store that prides itself on great customer service. I asked for the Grade 3 list for his new school. "Here we are" said the helpful girl, "Just wait here a moment." In about three minutes she was back with everything on the list. Sigh!

Dear grandson's school has now also gone to the pre-order system, but I still need my fix occasionally, which explains why our home is full of half used notebooks, packets of pens, pencils, rulers.....

There is hope on the horizon for me. In another five years my new little grandson will be starting school. I can hardly wait!

Gillian is the proud grandmother of two 9 year olds and a new grandbaby boy.

For grandparenting ideas, you can visit her website: http://www.grandparentscafe.com

This site offers information on grandparent's rights, distance grandparenting, as well as photos, stories, games, recipes, travel hints and more.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Grand Parents Rights - Child Custody

The world has changed dramatically in the last decade and we are now seeing more divorce cases than ever before but what about the Grandparents rights? Some may say it's a good thing that we should be able to move on from a relationship where we are not happy and we should be pleased that the process has been made easier for the couple concerned, but what about everyone else who is involved in this relationship?

Everything becomes more difficult and very messy for both the children involved and the grandparents. It seems all too easy to forget that grandparents will have their worlds knocked upside down if they have enjoyed a close relationship and it would appear that things are made even more difficult to ascertain Grandparent's rights as each state has its own precedents.

It is a stressful time for everyone. As a Grandparent you may have your own worries about your grand child's welfare and how you are going to obtain visiting rights. Or, you may even have a worry about the children being abused or their welfare being pushed to one side because of parental custody battles.

We all search into the dark side, especially if we think our relationship is at risk. We ask ourselves:

1) Are we going to be allowed visitation rights if the children are taken by the 'in-law' parent?

2) Are the children being neglected because of the divorce issues?

3) What options do you have as a Grandparent regarding their welfare?

4) What Grandparent rights do you have?

Well the good news is that it would appear that Judges are now listening more to the children concerns and what is in their best interest. As a Grandparent that has had a cherished relationship with a grandchild it is natural to experience fear as to what the future holds for your loved ones. The 'in-law' may have won custody and you have fears for never seeing them again or the fact that they are being disciplined by a stranger and expected to change a lifestyle. The other Grandparents are allowed access but you are having problems making contact. The kids themselves, confused as they, are may even think you have abandoned them!

As a Grandparent, maybe the dirty washing wasn't aired in public in your day but thank goodness for Grandparents and the children concerned that judges are now willing to listen to all sides of the emotional roller coaster. Grandparent rights are being looked at seriously as a positive step towards helping children come to terms with their changed circumstances.

If you are worried about your present situation and you require advice, you can learn more about grandparents rights from a site that is designed to let Grandparents know their legal rights and covers specific state regulations for all fifty states.

Child Custody: Grandparents Rights: 2008

Chinese Cooking Utensils

There are quite a few traditional utensils that have been used in cooking for thousands of years in China. Some of them are still seen in most of families, some can only be seen in rural areas, or may be disappearing in the modern world. But to cook authentic Chinese food that always tastes like grandma's, some of the utensils simply cannot be replaced by what you see in American stores.

Chinese Wok

Deep pan with round bottom used in several ways. Comes in iron, stainless and stainless with layer of copper on the bottom. Iron heats most evenly, but should be seasoned before using or food will stick.

To season: Fill pan with water. Add soap and soda and bring to boil. Pour off water, wipe dry. Place pan over strong heat. Add oil and rotate till pan is coated. Pour off excess oil. Place pan over weak fire and wipe with dry cloth.

To clean: After using pan, wash while still hot. Wipe and place over heat to dry completely.

Knife

Heavy and wide. All purpose - for paring, cutting, slicing, chopping and carving.

Iron Palette

Comes in square or round front. Rounded ones are easier to use with Chinese wok. Use for frying, sauting and basting.

Iron Spoon

Use back side for mixing food with minimum breakage.

Steamer

Used for steaming buns, chicken, meat, fish. Place over Chinese wok filled with boiling water. Buy one size smaller than wok. There are new styles of steamers on the market made of different materials. But Chinese believe that the traditional steamer works the best.

Slotted Spoon

Used for deep frying and boiling to get rid of excess oil or water.

Wire Sieve

With handle. Used for boiling noodles, dumplings, etc.

Steamers for Pastries

Small in size - about 15cm (6") in diameter. Used in same method as large steamer. Serve hot pastries in steamers. Typical foods served are small meat buns (small steamer meat buns, or Xiao Long Bao Zi), steamed meat dumplings (Shao Mai), etc.

Moulds for cookies

Made from wood with various carved designs. No longer popular in the modern society since people tend to buy cookies off the shelf. Some may still use the moulds for major holidays, or just Chinese New Year.

Bamboo Brush

Used for washing hot wok. Guess only people in some rural areas still use this type of brush. More people use regular washing cloth found on market.

Rolling Pin

Used for preparing noodles, dumpling skins, Chinese pancakes, and more. With the busy daily life nowadays, most of time people choose to buy ready to cook fresh noodles and dumpling skins from the small vendors seen on the street to save us time. Choose ones made from sturdy wood.

Copyrighted: You may freely republish this article as long as author bio and active hyperlinks are kept intact.

Jacklyn Chen - Webmaster of news-blogs.com, satellite info, and emobile-news.com. She is a full time mom who works very hard to make living with multiple web sites. She is seeking for success in singing career in China.

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