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Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Your Teenager and Weight Loss

I have always believed in prevention rather than cure. When it comes to your teenager and weight loss there is a whole lot you need to be aware of. This is not weight loss from an adult perspective where you hope there is common sense involved. My 15 year old daughter is not at all overweight but seems to think she is. I was lucky to be a teenager in the 80s where the athletic look was in so there was never this pressure to be stick thin like there is now. My daughter thinks my calves are too big and ugly and I got these from cycling. But with this focus on being stick thin she does not want to do a lot of exercise for fear of building muscles. So as Moms to teenagers today it is not as simple as encouraging exercise. You will not believe the attitudes nowadays. Purging, bulimia and anorexia are things which are not looked down upon but rather admired. My daughter has even asked me about the tape worm theory. This is when they swallow a tape worm which apparently eats everything you take in and then after a while you take some medication and the tape worm dies and comes out .I tried to discourage her by pointing out that the tape worm could very likely come out through her mouth but that didn’t work and she is still very interested in that theory.
I am lucky that she is not actively pursuing these options and I think it is partly due to the fact that I have over the years only had fresh food in the house and the drinks of choice were either 100% juice or water. I have never had fizzy drinks. Over and above the fact that they are unhealthy I also believe they are addictive.
I think the solution is to introduce slowly and consistently the right way to eat, encouragement with exercise, the right mind set and basically just being there for them though these confusing teenage years.
You can access a lot of really good ideas on how to do this via information on the internet.

If your teenager is already overweight there is light at the end of the tunnel. The important idea is to get their minds right and focused. The right way to start would be to access weight loss tips for beginners via the web.

Have your teenager access teenage weight loss tips on the internet.This link is a good site for teenagers to access as they have the option to ask questions and they will receive answers to all their queries.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Toilet Brush And Caddy-Disposable Or Not?



These toilet brush and caddy versions are truly beautiful and cost a fortune.If you have the money to spare then this is the way to go.As the whole world seems to be on the brink of collapse and I need to save money where I can I will only look at these pictures and hope that one day I might have one of them.In the meantime I need to consider the looks of the toilet brush,the health benefits and getting the best price possible.You get simple toilet brushes in plastic that work really well and they are also well priced.My problem is that I dont like the idea because I dont think you can ever clean them properly.So I like the disposable toilet brush and caddy.See how they work:

1. Assemble grip securely onto handle

2. Place handle tip into slot in scrubber.

3. Briefly dip scrubber into the water to get scrubber wet.Scrub stains above water line first (may take a few seconds to activate scrubbing foam with pumice). Continue to scrub until stain disappears or foam diminishes.

4. Hold handle with scrubber end over trash can. Use thumb to slide button forward until scrubber releases. Store handle.

I like this especially because my hands do not come into contact with the brush at all.The clip to drop off feature is really excellent.There are quite a few companies selling disposable toilet brushes and I would definitely recommend these especially if you have toddlers running around and the last thing you want is for them to get into the bathroom and start playing with the toilet brush which has been sitting around for years.
I personally like the scotch brite disposable toilet brush versions.Here are some more good tips:
It is the Only One with Bleach!The head is shaped to be able to clean under the rim while the special pumice formula works to wipe out rust and hard water stains.The best part with the No-Touch Toss!With the touch of a button, it simply releases the scrubber head into the trash and you then can store the handle and the re fill options which are really well priced.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Choosing the best refrigerator for you

Before you leave to go shopping for a fridge you need to measure the space where you intend fitting the refrigerator.Once you start shopping for one make sure that the size is ok to fit into your kitchen or the space where you intend keeping the fridge.

Next check out the shelving.Is it the wire racks or solid shelves.I prefer solid shelves as they are easier to clean.PLUS when you mess on one of the solid ones it stays on that shelf and does not drip all the way down to the bottom of the fridge,never mind if it drips on other foodstuffs on below shelves you will be cleaning from now till Sunday.

Also consider plastic shelves or glass shelves.I prefer the glass ones as you can see immediately if they are dirty and they are much easier to clean and they look better PLUS you can see everything in your fridge at one glance as opposed to solid non see through shelves where you physically have to move up and down to find stuff.

Another point to consider is the height of the handle.Too low means your toddler is going to be inside the fridge at the first opportunity.Also check whether the handles are easier to install child safety gadgets on to prevent small kids from accessing.

Depending on how much time you have on your hands for defrosting try and get a self defrost fridge.But as I sais in an earlier post that does not guarantee that you wont have to manually defrost but you will need to defrost less often than a fridge which does not self defrost.

Also if you have small children try and get a refrigerator fitted with an alarm that sounds when the door has been open too long.Apart from this helping in energy consumption where your fridge needs more energy to maintain its temperature it will also alert you to the fact that little hands are in the fridge and most probably getting up to mischief.

It is also very important to ensure that the outside of the fridge itself does not have many grooves which are difficult to clean and which will collect dirt over time and then just look plain ugly.I know you can probably use a toothe brush to clean out the grooves but the problem is the scratches you can make while doing this.So the best is to really try and avoid buying a fridge which will require a lof of groove cleaning.No matter how great and arty it looks when you buy it it is likely not to remain that way for very long and just end up being a headache.

Other things to consider are where the egg holder is situated.Make sure it is in an enclosed space where it cannot be bumped easily.You have to break a few eggs on the floor to realise the smell that stays there for ever and a day, never mind the wastage.

Also make sure that the instructions on temperature control are easy to use and manipulate.If you live in an area or country with a big temperature range between the seasons then you would need to regulate your fridge temperature accordingly.Also make sure this temperature regulator is fairly out of the way,easy for you to access but more difficult for children to fiddle with.

Enquire about the ease with which you can access spare parts for your fridge.I had a beautiful fridge that spent years in complete darkness because we could never find a globe to put in it for the light.If possible I would suggest asking for some spare globes just in case they decide to discontinue production.Also enquire about technical support and the guarantee period.

Concerning the guarantee period please make sure that technicians would come to your home to fix up whatever is wrong.You do not want to be without a fridge while they take yours away and then take forever to fix it up.The best thing is to find out if your fridge would be replaced should something go wrong with your one.And also how long it would take to replace.I have a car radio which is under guarantee which broke and I was told it would have to be shipped overseas and I could only expect it back after two months.To avoid this get everything in writing so you are completely covered if anything goes wrong.

And last but not least make sure that the legs are adjustable and preferably wheels.This makes it easy to move around should you wish to clean behind the fridge which you do have to as the temperature and darkness behind a fridge attracts many insects and others.Having adjustable legs ensure that should you move you would be able to adjust according to the new floor surface.Again the adjustable legs are things which you should try and get a few spares to keep just in case.

Remove Refrigerator Stains

Most stains inside the fridge can be removed by using bicarbonate of soda.Make a paste from bicarbonate of soda by mixing with a bit of water.Depending on your own fridge you can decide how thick to make the paste.The thicker the paste the stronger it is but it will cause more scratches.Be very careful when wiping off as exerting more pressure than necessary is going to cause scratches.I would suggest this paste for the inside.The inside stains are usually food based and if stubborn this paste works really well.

The outside stains are more from grimy hands and so forth.The paste works just as well but mix using bleach instead of water.You wont have to exert a lot of pressure when wiping off and it will do the job just as well.I dont recommend using the bleach mixed paste inside the fridge as there is food there and you dont want to risk contamination.

Always Thaw Chicken In Your Refrigerator

Raw chicken should never be thawed at room temperature by leaving it out on the counter.Rahter thaw out chicken slowly by leaving on a shelf in the non freezing side of your refrigerator.By the way you can even cook chicken from frozen and it even cooks faster this way.Obviously you need to remember that if you are following a recipe that asks for a certain amount of water that you should decrease this water content as the frozen chicken has a lot of water in it in the form of ice which will then melt.Do not use chicken which has been thawing for more than 24 hours in your refrigerator.

Some more tips on keeping chicken in your fridge:

Cooked chicken (regardless of how it is prepared) shouldn't be eaten after 48 hours in the fridge.

Make sure that cooked hot chicken is cooled down before putting into your fridge.This is so your fridge does not have to work harder to maintain its chosen temperator and also so you dont have to defrost your fridge any more than necessary.

It is not true that cooking raw chicken which has been in your fridge for more than 24 hours will kill the bacteria so dont do it.

You can have your raw chicken in the fridge in a bowl of water with some salt added.This makes your chicken more tender for when you do cook it and also helps in browning the chicken.

Read the package label to see the "sell-by" date which is 7 to 10 days after the chicken was slaughtered and if properly refrigerated it should remain fresh 2 to 3 days after that date. If it is a "used-by" date, the chicken should be cooked or frozen by that date.

Be sure the chicken, particularly a large whole bird, is defrosted thoroughly to ensure proper cooking. Place a hand inside the cavity of the chicken to check for ice crystals. If any crystals are present, more thawing time is needed. Thawed chicken should be cooked as soon as possible.Remove the giblets from the cavity of a whole chicken as soon as thawing allows. While the chicken is thawing, be sure drippings do not contaminate other food or preparation surfaces.

Prevent freezer burn by wrapping chicken in foil before freezing.

The faster you cook chicken after it has been frozen for the first time the better tasting it will be.So the secret is not to freeze fro long periods of time.

Basically follow the rules of freezing meat

White meat can be frozen for 365 days and red meat for 180 days.The difference is due to the fat content which is higher in red meat.

Defrost Tips

This is what I do when I defrost my fridge.And yes I know that you get some fridges which defrost themselves.I also have one which apparently does that and yet every few months I still have to do it the manual way.Apparently this is due to keeping the fridge door open for too long which interferes with the self defrost system.And the fact that my fridge sounds an alarm that the door has been open too long has also been no help in this family of mine.So here goes...

Try and plan to do this in the evening just before bedtime.

Switch off your fridge.

Put a lot of newspapers under and around the fridge.

Remove everything out of the fridge.If you have a separate chest freezer then put the perishables in there especially if you are doing this in summer.I like to take everything out because some items get so full of the melted water that it takes a really long time to clean and dry out the items.Make sure the items you are going to need tomorrow morning are within easy reach like the milk and the stuff to make sandwiches for the kids.

Go to sleep.Next morning wake up,get kids to school.Get back to kitchen,take a look around and climb into bed.Just joking!!

Get rid of big chunks of ice which should have loosened through the night.Put in bucket.If you have plants in your garden that love the cold put the ice directly next to them.Otherwise wait for water to melt by putting bucket out in the sun and then use the water to water your garden.

Remove the by now soggy newspapers and either throw away or dry out and then recycle.Mop up the area well and make sure all is dry.

Take a dry cloth and wipe the fridge.Use this opportunity to give the fridge a good clean.Put in fresheners if you can.

Put items back in and also use this opportunity to get organised.Frequently used items at the front and so forth.

Switch fridge back on and hey presto you are good for a couple more months.

Best Muffin Baking Tray


Have you noticed how your baking tray gets warped after while?And how scrubbing and cleaning ends up scratching off the original coating?It is not really healthy to carry on using baking trays with the coating flaking off as some of those loose flakes end up in your baked goodies which we then eat.I know tha I have in the past bought baking trays based on low pricing and after a while had to throw it away because of the coating coming off and my muffins being a strange shape due to the warped tray.If you do a lot of baking it is really worth buying a good quality baking tray which will last for years.If you add up all the trays which you end up throwing away I am sure that the combined money spent is more than if you buy just one really good quality one.I made that decision after a while and I have never been sorry.No more ruined goodies because they keep on getting stuck to the pan and no more throwing away useless trays.

To buy this muffin tray

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Home Security and Safety-Burglar Alarm System

It is very important to ensure the safety and security of your family by installing the best home alarm system you can find which covers all your special needs at a price which suits your pocket.Get as much value for money by choosing a system which provides many different options such as being pet friendly.Invest now in a system that offers you more than what you need currently as you may never be sure how your needs may change at a future date.Make sure this system is backed up by a reputable company and is compatible with most armed response service companies.That way you can always save money by changing providers if you have to at a later date.

This is especially important if you live in a high crime area.I am including the link to an excellent security service provider for residents of South Africa.ADT is a company which offers a comprehensive package whereby they provide the alarms system,the installation and the armed response service at a very reasonable rate.South Africa is considered a high risk country when it come to crime.
www.ADT.co.za

For worldwide purchase of alarm systems please see links below
www.DoItYourselfHut.com
for self installation and a lot of valuable advice on best systems available


www.wholesale-burglar-alarms.com
for better pricing and wider range of choice

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Getting Rid Of Rats

I have no ethical problem with getting rid of rats.Or rodents but that name just makes them sound better and they are just rats.I know they are very cute when they are small and as a youngster I used to keep them and look after them until one of my parents would find out and that would be the end of them.I have tried not to repeat the mistakes my parents made with me but this one I have to agree with them.They were right.Rats needs to be destroyed.

Okay your kids might have them in a nice cage and those ones are apparently clean and safe.But I dont have the time to adopt rats and clean them up and make them safe and then feed them and keep them in a cage.My going green exercise does not include rats.I do not see the ecological need to keep them on this earth.Very harsh but I really dont expect the world is going to be sorry if they ever go extinct.We will have done our children a favor to rid their future world of these disease carrying creatures.

I could go into a long description on how to recognise the different types of rats but really a rat is a rat is a rat.No need to introduce yourself just get them out.

If you have rats in your home you will hear them in your roof.If you do not get rid of them they will eat through your wiring and you will end up with a massive cost of replacing your electrical wiring system.

Prevention is better than cure so dont leave food lying around.Empty out your house dustbin as often as possible and call a pest exterminator NOW TODAY.
I had to do this and I was worried about the pesticide used as this was sprayed in the roof.I was terrified about the idea of 100s of rats dying in my roof that I would have to go and remove.This pesticide apparently takes 4 days to take effect.The GOOD NEWS is that this pesticide causes them to get very thirsty so they come out of your roof in search of water and they actually die outside.So you will not have to remove them from inside your house but you will have to pick them up from your garden and then throw away.The best thing that I did was to burn them in a sort of bonfire.Also be careful with your pets who will try to eat the dying rats.Check your garden as much as possible and try and keep your pets close by.You only need to do this for about a week and then they are all gone.

Getting Rid Of Crickets

I do not have a problem with crickets but oh,the noise they make.That constant chirping is enough to drive me mad.And I dont care what people say but they are extremely intelligent and the powers that be need to look into their intelligence system and enough already with the oh so clever dolphins.

A cricket has entered my house and started singing which I am sure that is what they are doing or maybe calling for re inforcements in a bid to drive me crazy.The paranoia is real and this conspiracy theory needs to be looked into as well.Possibly they want to take over the world by driving us out.Sent by aliens maybe?So I walk slowly towards the sound so I can gently remove the gentle cricket and put it outside.Easier said than done.As soon as you are 1 meter away it will stop chirping.You walk away and go sit down and it starts again.The trick is to put on socks so they dont feel your vibrations as you get closer.I have tried this and it works.Make as little noise as possible and catch it.Of course its ultimate fate depends on how long it took you to catch the dang thing.If it was quick I put the gentle cricket in a nice safe place in the garden.If it took me an hour I throw it out of the window.

Again I am trying very hard to not destroy everything around me as my contribution to going green.So prevention is again better then cure.

A control option is to close up their entry points. This creates a problem in that they creep in through tiny cracks in the flooring and wall junctions. A crack looks to an insect like a wide-open door looks to us. Finding and plugging every little crack makes for an enormous job, even when you eventually succeed.

If you have dogs for pets then that is a control option.They do the job for you.What you dont see cant hurt you.

If all else fails then drastic action is required.

For more information on taking drastic action(and spending money) on cricket extermination

Getting Rid Of Ants

I hate ants but after watching the movie Ant Bully with my kids I have mixed views on destroying ants.After seeing all their hard work and what friendly creatures they seem to be I do not want to add to the bad impression they have of us humans as being evil exterminators with no regard for their survival.I now instead try to focus on making sure my home does not seem like a wonderful place for them to set up home.Prevention is better than cure and I definitely dont want to be one of those people who by mistake get made smaller and end up living in an ant colony.

PREVENTION:
As with all pests, the best prevention is home maintenance. Keeping crumbs of food off the floor is always a good habit to get into, but this will not guarantee to keep ants out of your home. Make a regular check around your home looking for ant trails going into your home. Regular checks around the home and a few landscaping recommendations will keep you home pest free.

If however you still have ants and have no misgiving about destroying them then a trick of the trade is boric acid.(I hope they cant read because I will probably still be in trouble for suggesting this) When thinly mixed with water and sprayed on the ground, not on plants, on the ground around your home, will help eliminate ant populations. Boric Acid is safe and mixing it thinly in a water solution make for ease spraying. The acid dissolves the waxy film on the ants exo-skeleton and the ant dehydrates. Don't spray on your siding as it leaves a whitish residue, but up on the foundation works OK.

If you find the large black ants, these are bad for your home. They are carpenter ants. If you find these... call your local pest control guy. The money is well worth it.
Sugar ants,the red ones... call the Pest Control guy... they have very large colonies and can spread multiple colonies throughout your home.

For other informative tricks on pest control

Moths in your Home

If you are one of those people who cannot throw your old clothes away and keep them for years hoping that the fashion is going to change and you can wear these clothes again then this post is for you.One bright day you look around and that old outfit is in fashion again and you get out the old box from 1992 and pull out your old outfits and suddenly you start wishing that outfits full of holes could now be in fashion.Your old outfits have been attacked by moths.

Or if you were clever and you put in moth balls then you are going to smell of moth balls for as long as you wear your revived outfits.

Or you stored your winter clothes and now its time to take them out for winter and realise that your jerseys are very ventilated and not likely to keep you as warm as they did last year.Again the dreaded moths have been busy.!!!

First of all before you decide to go out and kill all the moths you see in an act of revenge you need to know the following:
Those large flying creatures you typically see flying around a light at night are not the moths eating your sweaters.Although they are moths they are not the ones eating fabrics, but instead have a diet of outdoor vegetation. Clothing moths on the other hand are quite small, not more than one-half inch long, and when disturbed will run or fly to conceal themselves. Also, unlike the larger, non-cloth eating family members, clothing moths prefer the dark and are not attracted by light. Their preferred habitats are dark, hidden places like the creases and folds in clothes hanging in rarely disturbed closets.AGAIN they are not the ones eating your clothes.Even though those moths live and breed in your closet, but they also do not eat your clothes. In fact grown moths don't even have the mouthparts necessary to chew on clothes. What eats your wool sweater is the larva. An adult moth lays about 100 eggs, and once the larva hatches the damage on your cloths begins. Even though the larvae can only digest animal fibers, other fabrics such as cotton and synthetics can still be damaged.So yes you do need to destroy the adults as they are the ones laying the eggs which feed on your clothes.

The best way to protect your clothes from moths is by prevention. There are a few things you can do that moths will hate, and your clothes will love:

- Cleaning Your Clothes Before Storing
You should never store clothes that are dirty or have been worn. Perspiration and stains are an ideal source of food for moths to feed on. Also, moths might already have laid eggs in your clothing that will hatch once in a dark storage area. Dry-cleaning or running your clothes through a heater will kill any larvae and eggs.

- Take Clothes out periodically
From time to time take your clothes out of storage and shake them out, and hang them in direct sunlight. The light exposure and the movement of the fabric will kill the fragile larvae and cocoons.

- Clean Your Closet
Cleaning and regular vacuuming will prevent dust from piling up. Moths love dust as much as fabrics, and if you let them have it, it will be another breeding ground for them.

- Moths Balls
Moth balls or flakes contain Para dichlorobenzene (PDB) or Naphthalene. Neither PDB or Naphthalene will repel clothes moths or prevent them from laying eggs -- the vapors from these materials are lethal to clothes moths, but only when maintained at sufficient concentrations. In order to achieve these levels, the vapors must be tightly confined with the items you wish to protect. Naphthalene is not very soluble in water, so it is difficult to remove by washing. It would probably be wise to dry-clean any articles that have been stored with mothballs before using them.

- Other remedies
If you want to create a moth's trap then do the following: Mix one cup of molasses with 2 cups of vinegar. Mix this solution well together and put it into a yellow open container to attract the moths. Moths like the sweetness of the molasses, and are attracted to the color yellow. What they don't know is that vinegar will kill them.

So next time you decide it is time to put your winter cloths back into storage, make sure to follow the advice in this article. Protecting your clothes from moths will avoid unpleasant surprises the following winter, and will help you save money on buying new clothes.

Natural Spider Repellant

There are many kinds of spiders and although generally most spiders are harmless just the idea of spiders,harmless or not, can make our skin crawl.We definitely do not like the idea of a bunch of spiders living in our home no matter how friendly they are.

Now you have to decide which creatures you can abide living with you because spiders are insect repellants themselves.They do insect control by having them for dinner so it is up to you to choose.Maybe adopt a few spiders that you allow to live in your home and get rid of the rest.

Anyway an important thing to remember is that when choosing a spider repellant make sure to choose a natural repellant that is safe for children and pets.

There is an insecticide on the market whose only active ingredients are mint oil mixed with a bit of detergent. The detergent is used to penetrate the skin of the spider and a bit of oil is also added to make the spray last much longer. You can find this product at most hardware stores. It is a natural spider repellent that does work. This can work outside as well as inside and gives off a lovely minty smell. This is one way of getting rid of annoying spiders and to make sure your home stays free of them.

To find out more on how to eliminate spiders by choosing a natural safe product

Termite Infestation-get help immediately

A termite infestation can easily destroy your house. Ask me I know.The termites I got in my house ended up with me even replacing the carpets in my daughter's bedroom as they had come up from underneath and eaten through the carpet.I took the opportunity to put in laminated wood flooring which is much more expensive than carpets so I needed to make sure that I never get a termite infestation again because this time it will really cost me money.

I got in experts who drilled holes in the walls at the bottom and inserted the poisons.I do not advise home remedies for this problem because before you know it your house is falling down.Even if you have a brick home they travel up the wall in the blank spaces and once they get to your roof they eat through the wooden trusses and then we are talking major replacement costs.My advice is at the first sign of termites do not wait.Contact an expert immediately.

Getting rid of bed bugs

Bed bugs multiply and can move throughout a whole apartment building reaching other residents homes.They also can leave your body with bed bug bites as they suck your blood. Bed bugs are brown, thin and able to get in between cracks in the home. Bed bugs can get into bed, waterbeds, sleeping bags, dressers and so many spots. They can be picked up in hotels and brought home or accompany the purchase of mattresses or used furniture.

Getting rid of bed bugs takes a lot of work but can be done. If you are renting, you need to contact your landlord so he can get pest control involved. After pest control comes in and examines the situation you will get a set of instructions regarding what you can do for home preparation yourself. It is important to follow these to facilitate the extermination. You'll get advice about your clothing, bed sheets, linen and materials in your bedroom. If they don't discuss this with you then consider a different company.

Re-infestation can start the whole process again. Some say that a bed bug can produce over 500 eggs a year.Though many people want a natural remedy , it is suggested by experts that a pest control operator is the way to truly eradicate the problem. They will spray and may use steam cleaning as well to let heat kill.

Putting a good vinyl cover on both the mattress and the box springs is recommended by many people.They cannot get through this unlike sheets and if there are no holes, they will eventually die. This can be a serious problem and needs to be addressed. Some people may not get bites so you cannot go by that as the only symptom.

For more information on how to get rid of bed bugs

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Soda Can Cap or Cover

How amazing is this product?I cannot remember the amount of times I have gone to Sun City or the coast or even tanned in my garden and had to throw away my cool drink because of the bees flying around.The worst thing is as soon as you see a bee you just throw your drink away because there might be one in the can already so for fear of being bitten or swallowing a bee the best option is to throw away.This amazing invention will keep your drink safe from bees,preserve the fizz and you can take your time finishing it.And kids who dont ever drink in one go,you can keep it aside until they come back for more.Seriously I am very very impressed.If you need any more info and/or pricing on this product or would like to order one please click here

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Do You Really Need a Pool?

There are quite a few factors to weigh up and think about before buying a home with a pool or having a pool installed in your existing home.

A pool can be a great asset if you entertain a lot around the pool,if your children love swimming or if you exercise by swimming.It might also add great appeal when it comes to selling your home and at the very least a pool can be a great way to cool off on hot days.

For the most part though the following factors need to be considered when considering a pool:

it is expensive and time consuming to maintain a pool
ever rising cost of pool chemicals
a pool needs to be properly secured
pool fencing can spoil the look of your garden
a pool consumers valuable yard space
it costs more to insure a home with a pool
filling up your pool will raise your water account
heating your pool will raise your electricity account
a home will not automatically add value to your home if you want to sell it.Many buyers in the market are reluctant to take on the expensive upkeep of a pool and families with young children are worried about the safety of their children

This is a good tip when considering installing a pool.Buy an above ground pool first.These are much cheaper and you can see if your family really uses it,enjoys it and whether you can cope with the upkeep and time consuming exercise.If after 3 months the kids are still swimming and you are still "enjoying" the upkeep and can handle the costs involved then by all means look into purchasing an in-ground pool.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Under Counter Spice Rack


I have a really small kitchen and you can see from the pictures from my kitchen renovation blogpost and a great gadget to have in a small kitchen is an under counter spice rack.This is great because you save on space,and if you keep your spice jars as you buy them from supermarkets then you know that they are not very pretty and all those different colours just detract from the colour scheme which you have chosen for your kitchen.And the best thing about having an under counter spice rack is you dont have to clean so often as the spice jars do not get as dirty as they usually get when they are wall mounted.And the dirt in the kitchen is usually oil based which means you really have to wash down the jars and what used to happen with me I would get lazy and not empty out the jars before washing and try and wash the outside of the jar and end up with extremely wet spices that I would then throw away.So it is also a money saving gadget.I have the stainless steel one which is not so easy to install but there are good tips on this on the link.There is also the plastic version which is easier to install but as we all know the easier it is to install the higher the chance that it will fall off.But dont take my word for it go see for yourself.I think this is one of the best inventions I have ever come across after hair dye that is. under counter spice rack

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Cutting down on Water Usage in Your Home

Saving water inside the house

Most famous way is to shower instead of having a bath.
Load your dishwasher with the "not so dirty" items first and set on a shorter cycle.
Soak really dirty items of clothing overnight and then wash by hand.Then put in washing machine on a shorter cycle
Use bath water to clean outside patio and patio furniture.

By the way a really good way to get access to this dirty water is by having a big drum outside which your pipe diverts to.This drum should only be for collecting the used water from washing machines,dishwashers,baths.You can then have a hose pipe attached directly which you can then use for all the outside cleaning jobs.

If you want to be really extreme and you know that your teenagers are using a lot of water in the bath then you can have the water fill up mark of your bath lowered a bit but this is extreme.Instead involve the kids and let them know how much the water account is and how much is used every month.Provide incentives to them to ensure the whole family is involved in saving water.Going over the account at the end of the month and emphasising improvements on water usage is a great way to do this.

Cutting down water usage in the Garden

Step One: Ensure that you use good soil that holds water well. Take the time to build soil amendments into it. A cheap method is to buy soil compost in bulk. It will be less expensive in the long run. If your soil is suitable you can add compost separately.

If your soil is not that good you can improve this by using several different mulches or composts. A good one is earth worm castings. You can find this in bulk at garden centers. This is natural, does not burn your plants and is chemical free. Work this well into the soil.

Step Two: Start your own compost bin. They are easy to make and really worth the time. You can use mesh wire in a barrel form, a wooden framed box, bins or you can buy them from local garden centers. You will find several options to building a compost bin online.

Step Three: Start by planting your vegetables so water can be maintained rather than run off the sides. If using row planting, make sure you prop up the aisles enough to hold water in between the rows. During the course of the season, these ailes will get worn down.Re build your rows and make sure you always have them in a condition to hold water. If you plant in containers, leave at least 2" at the top for water to stand so it soaks into the container. A common mistake is to fill the pot to the top with soil.

Step Four: How much water do you actually need to use? Each plant is different. A basic rule is to feel the soil . Observe that the soil is just starting to get dry before you water. If the weather is hotter you will be watering more. When you water make sure to water deeply. It is better to soak the soil than to sprinkle or lightly water. Check your plant requirements according to the package.

Step Five: Use a drip irrigation system. This is probably one of the most important methods you can use to save water. Sprinklers lose water to the air, wind and run off. Local garden centers and home stores usually have some sort of drip system. They will be able to show you how to install and use them. These systems are really very easy to set up. Begin by making a scaled plan of your garden. Measure the size and how many rows you will have. Take the plan to the garden center and let them help you figure out the components.

Step Six: Consider using water generated from your baths, dishwasher, laundry, etc. It is one of the most wasted sources of water.This "gray" water contains phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen, all of which benefit plants. These chemicals are found in organic soaps and shampoos. Check the labels on the products you use for the above and make sure you purchase natural or organic products. Avoid products that contain toxic chemicals and bleaches. This will ensure this gray water is safe for your plants.

If you notice that your plants are suffering damage from the gray water, stop using it and consult a horticulturist or gardener.

Most important
Try and install a drum outside which catches rain water.Your plumber can easily divert the pipes so you can use this water for inside the house or for your garden.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

My bathroom renovation













This is the "before" picture for my bathroom.Also same problem with half wall tiles and thought white was too cold a colour and wanted to be adventurous.

This is during the renovation.Those tiles were a killer to remove and took them 2 days which they had not bargained on in the quotation.A piece of advice if you are ever doing this.Please ask them to test the strength of the tile which is to be removed so they can forecast correctly the time that they are going to take with the project.












And these are pics of what my bathroom looks like today