1st Place Home

We would all like to think that we have sparkling clean, fully organised kitchens, but the reality of it is they could use a fine-tuning. Last year, I was spurred on by a good friend to join her in what is called the Kitchen Cure. It is a four week program that I refer to as kitchen bootcamp, because the intent is to get things into shape. In the end you should have the proper saucepans, and be using them the way they were intended, while having narrowed down the group of three colanders you have acquired down to just one.

The intent is to get your kitchen “clean, healthy and organised”, and for me it did just that and made the process of cooking more fun. To participate, you need to commit to four assignments, given out over the course of four weeks. During those weeks I learned that our kitchens require attention similar to that of our bodies if we what them to be buff, and highly functioning. And while I would have admitted prior to the course that my kitchen could use some improving, I also secretly thought mine was head and shoulders above the majority of the population. Instead what I came to see was that it was deteriorating, and I was becoming oblivious to the signs.

To give you an idea of how it worked, the first week’s assignment was to clean the refrigerator, freezer and kitchen cabinets/ pantry. Since I do one of these every month or so, I imagined I would have it easier than some other people, but because of regularly doing it I also knew that each of those tasks would be time consuming. And it was, but the part I really gained from the most was where we were required to take before and after pictures. Sure, you feel amazing right after you overhaul the fridge, freezer and the place you store your dry goods, but that memory fades. The after picture has become a form of new found inspiration, and I have referred to it many a time since.

Of the four assignments I came away with the most from week three, when we were asked to restock our kitchenware. After all these years of cooking I felt moderately confident that I was working with a good collection of the basics. Yet, after making some headway by donating the duplicates of items I had, and taking a good look at what was left, I saw that while I love to bake, I did not have all the tools to make the experience complete. Luckily, this course also promotes you to reward your efforts by purchasing what it is that would make you cook more often, as long as you have space for it, and can honestly say you will regularly use it. I have gone forward and begun to serve baked goods I would never have tackled before, but now am comfortable preparing with my new implements. I think the best part is that thought the course ended the same assignments can be repeated to keep you on track.

Over the past few years, the popularity of memory foam mattresses in the home has soared. This is partially because the cost of these products has decreased due to a general decrease in production cost, but it is also because the benefits of sleeping on such mattresses have become more widely known. Sleeping on a memory foam mattress is beneficial in a number of ways, and you will definitely feel the difference when you wake up from your first night’s sleep on one.

Sometimes, even if you have slept the whole night through you may wake up still feeling tired. This is because even if you have slept a full eight hours, if you have been tossing and turning during the night then often you haven’t been immersed in full REM sleep (the kind that allows you to fully recharge) for long enough. This is a common problem, and there isn’t really any medicinal remedy. Although you are asleep, your body is aware of a level of discomfort, and this prevents you from sleeping as deeply as you should.

A memory foam mattress is one solution. The memory foam is designed to adapt to your weight and to the shape of your body, moulding itself around you so that your weight is evenly distributed. This eliminates painful pressure points that may otherwise form at the places where more force is being exerted. This is why sometimes you may wake up with an ache or pain and not know where it has come from.

Whether you suffer from an existing condition or are just plagued by minor discomforts, memory foam mattresses can help you to wake up feeling healthy and happy. Sleeping on a memory foam mattress also reduces the chances of you developing aching conditions later in life, including rheumatism and sciatica. Looking for memory foam mattresses? visit dreams.co.uk, dreams have a great range of beds and much more ranging from childrens bunk beds to luxury sofa beds

Though we may not try to eliminate those pesky cobwebs, and dust bunnies that are habituating in hard to reach areas of our homes each and every time we clean, it is something I we must do from time to time. You know, usually right before you have a visit from a white glove clad mother in law, or some self-righteous neighbour that harps on keeping an immaculate house.

The thing is, while we have been using our brooms to wipe off those spider webs, and dust off our crown moulding there is an additional precaution we can take to ensure that those bits do not land elsewhere. Because, really and truly we are supposed to be removing them from the space entirely to create a clean environment, not just moving them to less conspicuous spots. Having flooring like a hardwood floor from Armstrong makes it much easier to clean spills, dust and other items that are otherwise difficult to clean with carpet. To get the job done well, place a microfiber cloth over the bristles of the broom, and then hold it on with a large rubber band. This way those icky pieces will stick to the cloth that you can then shake outside, and later wash properly.

We all need to be as well informed as possible when looking for a new home, and as such relying upon some Internet resources can play out to be one of the best things you ever do. A prime example of this very thing is sold house prices, to not research what the properties you are interested in were last sold for is quiet honestly a failure on a buyers part. This can play out to be essential information to evaluate whether or not the asking price is fair, or even in keeping with the chain it has followed thus far. In addition, you will also want to know what similar houses in the area were last sold for too. All of this goes into the formula that you use to evaluate what the house of interest is really worth in the larger scheme of things.

Of course this is not to say that after you have identified the one home you want most out of all the houses for sale that you will not be emotionally influenced. Just knowing what the house should be worth may not be enough to keep you from offering more simply because you want it so very much. There is a lot to be said about ending up with the right house for you and your family. It is altogether exceptionally common for buyers to find themselves thinking with their hearts and not their minds. But no one will deny that being well informed, and knowing exactly what you are doing, right or wrong financially, is the best thing you can do for yourself. The bottom line here is that often the final decision to buy one house over another is frequently based fifty percent upon what one’s heart is saying, and fifty percent upon what their mind is declaring is the way to go.

One of our kids is headed to college in Florida, and the thought of organizing an apartment off campus for him was not something I was looking forward to doing. I still have rather vivid memories of having to try and rent apartments from a distance when I went off to college in Florida myself some many years ago. And the image of the absolute clunker of a place I ended up with for my first year, because we could not go and visit prior to school starting to check it out in person, is still clear. Back then there were no fancy websites to peruse, with photos of the properties and information all available at a click.

So, I was not expecting the search to be an easy, or painless one. Which is why I was pretty much flabbergasted when my son brought his laptop into the kitchen one morning to show me how he had already picked out a couple of rental properties online. The only downside was that he had chosen some more expensive places than his father and I had been planning to fund. Of course we want him to be safe, and comfortable in his first place away from home, but the highrise condo with pool, gym and billiards room seemed a bit extravagant.

Luckily, that is where the second surprise of the morning came in to play. He had applied for a loan, and gotten approval. Thus, covering the difference between what we paid, and what was left over for housing. This was some of the best news I had received in a long time. Now, I can concentrate on helping him decorate his new digs.

The best home improvement items that I have come across recently are stylish bathroom lighting that is also energy efficient. Due to the rising energy prices, and mandatory efficiency codes, manufactures are taking notice of what the consumers both want and need. Say goodbye to harsh fluorescent lighting that makes us look greenish, and hello to lights that keep our wallets flush.

In fact, there are even well made fixtures on the market that will enhance the space, but blend so well that they do not become a feature. Thus, a more soothing and seamless appearance is possible. This is absolutely perfect in today’s home spa environments, and expansive bathrooms. This move toward what looks good, and costs less is called design friendly efficiency, and we think it is simply grand.

Last week I watched an interview of a prominent actress in which she claimed she not only enjoys deep cleaning her home but also looks forward to it. Well, all I can say is goody for her. I detest cleaning, but savour the way my home looks and feels once it is complete. Therefore I am a fan of the quick fix cleaning approach, and specifically vacuum cleaners.

To me a vacuum is like a little buddy who assists me with my cleaning, and I will definitely take all the help I can get. Sure, sweeping and mopping are great methods, but they cannot always do the job that a vacuum can. For instance, I have a child with serious allergies, and sweeping can actually exacerbate his condition. And, if sweeping has kicked up the allergens, then mopping will just drag them around further.

This means that I rely pretty heavily on Dyson cleaners, and mainly the Dyson DC23 Allergy Vacuum. It is one of those things that I find to be worth every penny I spent on it. At the end of the day it helps me out in more ways than one.

So you are once again dreading the arrival of guests because you use the guest bedroom closet as your hiding place for junk. Well, then make it so the visitors do not even need to open up the closet doors. Place a hook on the back of the bedroom door that has a piece underneath it for multiple hangers. This becomes all your friends and extended family need to arrange their belongings in a neat and orderly fashion. Sure, Aunt Ida might still feel the urge to look inside the closet because she is a nosy one, but she will not have an excuse to do so. Instead, you will appear to be very considerate for having installed the special hook just for guests. Therefore, you should be feeling a bit better about the impending arrival of all that you have invited.

After a wonderful vacation to Chile, we have become huge fans of the wines from the Lomari Valley. So much so that we have purchased a new wine fridge just to keep the stock readily available. I thought we would have to special order the specific wines of interest, but were ecstatic to learn that no great efforts would have to be made to procure the bottles.

What I found is that not only can you get good wine online nowadays, you can quite often find regional wines of choice. On top of all that, the very wines I want most are coming from a local shop, and there is very little waiting time till delivery. This alone may prompt us to pop open a bottle to celebrate.

While I seriously doubt my family and I will ever be able to repeat the grand holiday adventure we had in Chile, I accept the simple task of ordering cases of those wonderful wines to bring back the fleeting memory of it all. Plus, because it is readily available, I am sure we will broaden our horizons and sample some of the wines from the Casablanca and Bio Bio Valleys next.

We all have one, that drawer where we put things that have no real home. You know it, the drawer that we would all be ashamed if someone were to open it. Ah, in all honesty some of us have more than just one of these. But that is ok because here is one trick that might actually get you to crack the organisation of that drawer, or drawers, from hell. The two words that can make it all better, muffin tins. They come in various sizes, and thus vary in depth, width and number of slots per containers. They will hold random keys, curled up tape measures, individually wrapped candy, desk supplies, matchbooks, wine corks and on and on and on. And should you ever find more permanent housing for these lost articles, then you can make muffins for everyone you know.