1st Place Home

While many home makeover projects are completed in the height of Winter because we are all stuck inside anyway, spring can work just as well. That is if you decide to focus on redoing your al fresco living area. Or even if you have no defined place in your garden for entertaining and relaxing, it is a wonderful time to establish one. There are tons of ways to create a dinning area or simple chill zone, and specific instructions are free online. All you need is a little inspiration, and a bit of motivation and you are halfway there.

Now, as far as getting it completed in a timely manner do as follows. If you round up your spouse, kids, or even the neighbours kids you will be done in no time. An excellent option is to do an exchange with friends or neighbours in which you spend one weekend working on their garden and the next on yours. Thus there is no additional cost for labour. Nor do you have to work around landscapers schedules. Everybody gets what they want, when they want it, how they want it when you do it yourself.

If you are short on storage space, and only need a temporary fix, then consider the area beneath your dinning room table. Many of us have a formal dinning room that we only make of use of on rare occasions. And so, it is an entire room that we are basically wasting when it comes to storage.

As such, this space can be reclaimed quite easily for as long as the dinning room table is not in use. Simply cover the table with a floor length cloth and very neatly pack boxed items underneath it. You get a well concealed place for a great deal of stuff, and nobody will ever be the wiser to your additional storage. Just remember to leave a bit of room for your chairs to be quasi pushed underneath too.

For several years I have been on a quest to find the perfect dish to serve at my annual St. Pattys Day Dinner. Thus far, I have determined that the best kind of St. Patrick’s Day recipe is one that calls for me to drink half of a beer first, and then use the remaining portion as an ingredient.

After much research, I have narrowed it down to a chicken dish, as I have been advised that marinating chicken in a dark beer is the most flavourful way to go. I am a big fan of the darker brews, so this calls to me.

This year I will be using the outdoor grill, instead of experimenting in the kitchen. The recipe calls for marinating a whole chicken as you usually would and heating the grill to medium. Next, place the  chicken over the half filled beer can. Then prop it up like a tripod over the grill. Grill for one and a quarter hours. After removing the bird and can carefully, allow to cool for 10 minutes on the can.

At the very least, this years recipe sounds interesting. Whether or not it is the best one has yet to be seen. And, the truth be known, I think I would be a tad disappointed if the quest was complete.

Clutter can make you want to scream for help to get organised. Having been one of those people I have collected helpful tips that I enjoy passing on. If your closet is filled to the gills, and your clothes are constantly falling off the hangers, then you may want to try this quick fix. Take out that ratty collection of rubber bands you have in your drawer and use them on the ends of your clothes hangers. Wrap them around the ends to prohibit your shirts and dresses from falling to the floor below. In one action you have eliminated the need to rehang things over and over, and gotten rid of that unsightly stack of rubber bands.

I have often thrown empty grocery bags directly underneath my sink after emptying them out. No, there has not been any container to hold them, and yes they have just floated around down there. But, that all comes to an end now that I have come across this super idea to help create an organized kitchen.

An empty tissue box is a great place to house leftover plastic bags. We all know we should recycle bags, but now we can recycle the tissue boxes too. So, things will be more manageable in my cabinet, and I will not cringe at the thought of a visitor opening the door. Nor will I have the bags oozing out at me each time I open the door. Awesome.

If you are thinking about putting your home on the market, or just want to freshen up the exteriors appearance, then follow these quick tips to get the curb appeal you want. Small, simple additions, or changes are often enough to alter the first impression of your house. Take one or two of these ideas on board, and you may be amazed at how well they pay off.

The outdoor lighting that graces your doorstep should be in sync with the style of your home, and in pristine condition. Thus, take a look at what your present lights are saying to visitors as they approach. Doesn’t matter if you’re on top of your Mozo home loans (though this is simple enough if you take a look at http://mozo.com.au/home-loans to get a rough idea) or your car’s got ten wheels and diamond-encrusted headlights. Anything that is discoloured, rusted, or outdated should be the first thing to go. Replace those groovy relics with crisp, eye-catching beauties.

The same rules apply to your house numbers, or name plaques. Both should be large enough to be identifiable from the road. These are the perfect items to make a statement with, and announce that a beautiful home exists within.

To top everything off, consider a doorknocker that matches the style, and even colour of the lights you have selected. Be consistent with your items, and the home will appear tidy and well managed. Bye bye dull, neglected doorway, and hello curb appeal.