1st Place Home

While I am not hear to tell you that you no longer need to clean out the fireplace  before you use it, I am going to rave about ready to light logs. It is still prudent to scrape out the ashes leftover from the last fire you made, or even better to remove them with a utility vacuum. But what comes next need not involve you assembling a dubious looking pyre of newspaper, kindling, and wood. Nor must you standby at the ready to blow on the sparks, or fan the flames by hand. Save those boy scout/girl scout skills for camping excursions, and take a break while you are in your own home.

There are logs made of recycled waxed boxes (you know the ones they deliver all the produce to your local market in). As such, already you are doing a good thing by recycling, Next, you can revel in the knowledge that the logs are said to emit eighty percent less carbon monoxide then regular wood ones. Sounds good right, and just wait till you try it, so easy it will make you blush.

Every time we have a dinner party I like to have pitchers of water spruced up and at the ready. I have always been a huge fan of dressing up plain water, and making water look more appealing. Admittedly, spas have been inspiration, as their gentle naturally flavoured waters always look so inviting. But, I have become bored with my fall back versions and wanted to liven things up.

What I found was the following to make water more enticing and delicious. It is my go to healthy beverage when we entertain, citrus and rosemary water. All it requires are slices of lime, strips of lemon or orange zest (which ever is on hand or I have more of) and softly crushed sprigs of rosemary. The flavours need at least an hour to seep in well, and it is preferable that the water be refrigerated during that time. And if possible, this calls for a clear container, as the sight of the fresh zest and rosemary add so much to drawing in takers.

This is the question many homeowners are likely to be asking themselves at the moment. The economic situation is forcing many people with a range of financial commitments and obligations to find ways of reducing their monthly bills. Insurance policies are a popular target for this kind of belt-tightening, as they represent payments for things that may happen in the future at a time when people are very focused on what is happening right now. Despite this, the question people with homes and possessions that are valuable and important to them should be asking is: can I afford not to have home insurance?

What does home insurance cost?

The actual costs of a home or flat insurance policy will vary depending on both the company that you choose to go with, and the breadth of cover offered by your chosen policy. You will find that it is very possible to find good policies at reasonable rates, because the insurance market is such a competitive one forcing companies to come up with deals to attract and retain customers. Furthermore, while you can secure separate buildings and contents policies, it will probably be cheaper to get a single policy covering both areas.

Can you afford the costs of repairs and replacements?

If you do not have home and contents cover, you will have to meet the costs of any damage to your property or possessions, not just luxuries, but also essential items such as beds or the fridge. Therefore, it best when budgeting to work out whether you could afford to meet these costs if necessary, as otherwise you could find yourself having to manage without them for a period.

Where can you get home insurance?

If you are in a private home, the best option will likely be a major insurance provider, such as Endsleigh, with the internet offering price comparison sites to help you find a good deal. For those in properties owned by a Housing Association it may prove cheapest to secure insurance through them.

As things stand now in the financial world we are told that more and more people are spending more time at home. We are foregoing the movie theatre and watching the television on our own couches, and we go for fewer meals out and as such recipe club memberships are skyrocketing as we prepare more meals at home. Frankly, I did not need anyone to point this out to me. I know this to be true first hand, as I find friends, family and acquaintances struggling with the same conundrum.

The confusion lies in this thought process. Undoubtedly, we see this as a time to save, as the future of our finances, and that of our community and country are in question. Homes are being foreclosed upon right and left, banks are going under, retirement ages are being changed, and so on and so forth. I do not care to be a scare monger, but things are daunting However, if we are to turn to “nesting” in our homes in response to all of this, then are we entitled to improve upon those structures in order to make this experience as pleasant as can be? Or should we be in a holding pattern, sitting in wait? And while I wish I had the answer, I simply put this out there as food for thought.

Many adults think that each and every meal needs to be a big production. This is precisely why so many of us are exceedingly overweight, sluggish and tired of preparing and cleaning. Whew, that was a mouthful. But, if you take a second to think about it, you might just come back from the dark side, and learn a new way of eating at least some meals.

In this exercise I recommend you start with breakfast. Don’t pull out the skillet, the sauce pan, the blender, the knives, spoons or even forks. All you need are basic, healthy, fortified ingredients, and a bowl or plate to lay them on. In fact, once you get the swing of simpler meals, you will be able to set them aside in advance, and take them with you if this makes things more convenient.

I started this new approach with a fruit and cheese plate, yep for breakfast. My choices were a Granny Smith apple, cheddar cheese, and toasted almonds. Aside from recognizing that you need not cook, or even spend lots of time preparing meals, and cleaning up after eating them, but portion control. Stick to one apple, cubes of cheese, and one fourth cup of almonds. After you have consumed this, if you want more, then have more, but by not having put it on your dish you will have to make a conscious effort to take an additional portion. Awareness will get you to a healthier place.

Many of us have loved ones that are gardening enthusiasts, and as such when it comes to giving them gifts this fact is never far from our minds. Though it can be difficult to know exactly which tools they might be in need of, or which they have but would rejoice in having new one’s to replace them. And an even more difficult situation is trying to decipher what trees, plants, and flowers they might like. That is why I propose the following, garden registries. You know just like those that engaged couples create for the gifts they would like for their wedding celebration. Only this covers things like garden furniture, fruit trees, and anything else related to gardens.

I am not a shy one, so I will come out and say it bluntly. I think this is a fabulous idea, even if it is mine and I should probably be more modest about it for that reason. Yet, I can see it makes fantastic sense, and would bring a lot of happiness to the recipient, while making the gift giving process exceedingly easier for the giver. And why should this not be in existence already, I mean if you think about it, it really does seem like an untapped market that could feasibly be a major success for any garden center.

Not to mention, just like guest do with wedding registries, big ticket items could be broken down into smaller purchases. For instance, one person could look at the registry and see that the person they would like to give a gift to, say maybe their grandparents for their fortieth wedding anniversary, is interested in an outdoor table and chairs set. Then the gift giver could identify that for right around what they were hoping to spend they could choose one chair from the set. Once the purchase was made it would be reflected on the registry and other individuals could see that they couple could still use three chairs and the table.

The reason this came to attention in the first place is that my own grandparents are celebrating fifty years together and they are holding the party in their favourite place, their own immaculate garden. For as long as I can remember my grandparents have been avid gardeners, but have focused mainly upon what they grow, and not how it is decorated. But since they are getting up there in age an addition to their garden like one of those summer houses would be a huge benefit to them. It would enable them to sit in the covered shade of the little house with the doors and windows wide open. So, they would be outside but comfortable at the same time.

What I would like to do more than anything is to have a summer house all set up in their garden secretly prior to their party. In addition, to have it furnished, through participation of the other guests. If they had a registry then I would know precisely which of the summer houses suits their fancy, and the other guests would know what furniture they would appreciate most inside of the house. Without this information, we will all be going out on a limb in selecting these things ourselves, and these are not items you really want to guess at. So that is precisely where a garden registry would be of tremendous assistance.

If you are decorating a rustic abode then a great addition to your design will be driftwood. Specifically, consider framing your art with driftwood branches and thus create a unifying theme amongst all the wall art. This is popular amongst seaside retreats, and will make your locale feel authentically bound to nature. Not to mention the fact that the collection of the driftwood itself can be a rather memorable experience when conducted as a family unit. Any trip to the beach is welcomed, and to come away with souvenirs will make it quite special. Try to get pieces that will easily fit the parameters of the frames that you have holding the paintings, drawings or prints. That way you will limit the amount of shaving down, or cutting that you will have to do to get things just right.

So your home is traditional in style, but you are not a staunch traditionalist. Well, you are in luck, because it is ultra in style to intermingle the contemporary with design styles of the past. One of the most common ways that people are going about this, and the one that requires the least commitment is by hanging modern pictures on the walls, and artwork throughout the space. The interplay between old and new can be very though provoking, and when combined well, quite striking. The next time you are choosing new home furnishings keep an eye out for certain aspects that contrast nicely with your existing decor. Whether it is an old brass clock that would look great on your white, minimalist mantlepiece or Victorian-inspired tasseled tiebacks for your modern print curtains. It is always easiest to begin by embracing such small details before moving onto a bigger scale. And even though most owners of thatched roofed homes previously never contemplated blending such opposing time periods into their décor, it does work. Still, it is absolutely not an approach that appeals to everyone. After all keeping things completely traditional can be super too. But if you are brave enough to mix things up, you should be very pleased with the results indeed.

As a child I took a never ending lineup of piano, guitar, and flute lessons. Needless to say we were a musical family. My parents both believed that a home should be filled with music. Unfortunately, though I enjoyed playing the instruments, I did not excel at any. Knowing this, my son-in-law gave me a guitar for Christmas last year. Since it has nearly been a full year, and I have done nothing with that sweet gift, I thought I better correct that pronto so we could have live music in the house for the holidays. So, I pulled up the business directory Southampton online, located a music teacher, and set up some lessons for both me, and my youngest daughter.

The instructor, who just began teaching and was pleased as punch that someone had found him in the directory, has informed us that we should be able to play a few festive tunes in time for our Christmas Eve party. We are keeping it a secret until then, but are looking forward to filling this house with music made by our family. I always thought it was nice that my parents tried to keep the music going in their house, and at least for traditions sake I will try to get it going again in ours. Think about doing the same in yours, it is truly something special.

One thing you are bound to find at a farmers market is interesting glass. In varying styles, shapes and sizes it all waits for you to go and find it. Though you may not be able to find a set of glassware, or even want to drink from what you run across, the pieces you encounter can work very well as vases. A cranberry pitcher is a divine holder for antique roses, or chrysanthemums. While, an old milk jug is a darling item to display large daisys or carnations.

Or, perhaps you are looking to place a flower in front of every place setting at an upcoming dinner you are hosting, then old shot glasses will fulfil this need. The history of glass is a very long and interesting one, and you can view a piece of it right at your local farmers market. Once you have found something that calls out to you, then you will be able to keep a little bit of that history alive by making use of it in your own home.