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Fixing Ceiling Cracks - Home Repair Advice

2009-10-05T07:35:00.001-07:00

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

If You Live in Northern San Diego County or South Orange County, and You're Looking for a Great Contractor, Click on This Link Reliable Home Repair Contractors

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.

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Plumbing Problems and Solutions - Repair Manuals

2009-10-05T03:04:00.001-07:00

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

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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.

Do I Need a Home Inspection? - Real Estate Advice

2009-10-04T22:38:00.001-07:00

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.

Building Codes - Stairway Construction

2009-10-04T18:11:00.001-07:00

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

How to Protect Foundation Plumbing Pipes?

2009-10-04T13:43:00.001-07:00

If you install any underground plumbing pipes, in your concrete building foundation, you will need to protect them, from the concrete. You can use a variety of products and the most common of them will be a Styrofoam wrapping that can be purchased at most plumbing supply stores.

Let's start with the waste pipes, that are made out of plastic. The concrete could actually start to put pressure on the plastic pipes as the concrete starts to expand and this pressure could actually damage your new waste pipes.

You don't need to wrap all of the plastic waste pipes, only the parts of the waste pipes that will be exposed or in direct contact any concrete, but you do need to protect every copper water supply line that will be buried under the ground or exposed to the concrete, with a plastic sleeve. These products can be purchased again at most building supply or plumbing supply stores.

If these pipes aren't protected properly, you could find yourself within a short time, repairing the pipes that are either inside of your concrete foundation or buried underneath your concrete foundation. Either way, this isn't going to be a good thing.

You definitely need to wrap a plastic sleeve around the water supply pipes that are going to be buried or in direct contact with the concrete. This is a must and most building departments will require your plumbing pipes to be wrapped, before it they will sign off on your rough foundation plumbing inspection.

However, for the waste pipes, you can actually use cardboard to protect them. If you're short on funds, why not grab some cardboard boxes, dismantle them and start using cardboard to wrap the pipes, with a little duct tape.

There are plenty of ways to save money in the construction business, buy a few books, read a couple of articles, with a lot of pictures in this can provide you with lots of construction information, from experience building contractors.

Check out some of the best selling Home Building Plumbing Books all on one website

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

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Searching For Your Dream Home - Buying Property

2009-10-04T09:11:00.001-07:00

First things first when looking for your dream home. Make a list of all the things you're looking for. With today's computers and search engines on the Internet it makes home shopping by keywords very simple.

Most real estate websites have boxes you can check off, if you're looking for a three-bedroom house with two bathrooms and a swimming pool. You simply check these items off, select the area you would like to search for homes and and you now have a list of homes to look at.

Some of these homes have virtual tours on the Internet, which allows you to go through most of the home before you actually visit the house. Modern technology has made searching for your dream home a virtual reality.

You can now look through the list and select the most appealing homes before you start driving around. Don't let the pictures of these homes deceive you on the Internet or MLS. Some of the descriptions of these homes can also be very deceptive.

When looking for your dream home, used every possible means available to you. This would include your real estate professionals, newspapers, magazines, search engines, internet websites, and don't forget about driving around your favorite neighborhoods. This is actually how we found one of the homes we bought.

Our real estate salesman gave us a list of homes to look at, while we were driving around, we spotted a home that caught our attention and we pulled in the driveway. To our amazement, the real estate saleswoman who listed the home lived a couple of houses down the street and was right there asking if we wanted to see the inside of the house.

Your family, friends, neighbors and people you work with, can also help you with your homebuying quest. You would be surprised at how helpful some of these people can be. I knew someone who found a home they really liked, knocked on the door and told the homeowners, they would be very interested if their home was ever put on the market. Within a few weeks, he was buying the home.

I'm not telling you to knock on everyone's door whose not selling their house, but you never know how or when you're going to run into the house of your dreams.

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 buying checklist to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

Don't buy a house without visiting, one of the best websites for home inspections. This website has thousands of pictures that deal with home inspection problems. If you're buying a house, check out this section on home inspection cover ups.

What Does a GFI Do? - Electrical Problems

2009-10-04T04:45:00.001-07:00

In your bathroom you should have a GFI electrical outlet. Most new homes or newly remodeled homes require you to have GFI electrical outlets in the kitchen. Most older kitchens do not have GFI electrical outlets. GFI stands for ground fault circuit interrupter.

Why not call it a GFCI instead of a GFI electrical outlet? Well it is called a GFCI in some instances. GFI is short and is the most common name used by most electricians and builders for this type of outlet.

GFI 's come in 15 amp and 20 amperage outlets. GFI outlets must be wired properly. Make sure you're using the proper wire size when hooking up the GFI outlet.

How do I know which size wire to use? This all depends on how far away you are running it from the electrical panel. There are charts you can use to figure this out. If you are not running the electrical wire more than 80 feet from the electrical panel you can use 12 gauge electrical wires for a 20 amp GFI. This is a general rule of thumb for most electrical house wiring.

If you're going to be using a 15 amp GFI and you are going to be less than 80 feet away from the electrical panel you can use 14 gauge electrical wires. Again this is just a general rule of thumb for most electrical house wiring.

A GFI is a light duty electrical plug used in bathrooms, kitchens and the exterior of your house. The sole purpose of the GFI is to shut the breaker off faster if there is any moisture or light load problems.

Let's say for instance you have your hair dryer plugged into the GFI outlet. The hair dryer somehow falls into the sink while it is on or plugged in. The GFI outlet will instantly shut off because of the sensitivity of the breaker inside of the plug it self.

The GFI plug has a test button and a reset button on it. If you are continually resetting the GFI you will wear it out eventually. I have had GFI plugs after resetting the button about 10 times break and no longer able to use them.

The GFI electrical plug is a great idea and if you don't have them in your bathroom or outside of your home it would be a great idea to have an electrician install them for you.

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 Home Building Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

San Diego Termite Damage

Important Home Repair Advice - Do it Yourself

2009-10-04T00:19:00.001-07:00

There are plenty of homeowners that would like to do their own home repairs, but lack the skills necessary to accomplish the task. I would like to give them a couple of tips that can drastically improve their home repair abilities.

Let's start with the basics, you need to acquire the basic information necessary to accomplish the task. Where are you going to find this information, who's going to teach you how to do your home repairs. Most building professionals don't have the time to explain the process to you, because it takes time away from them, for making money to support their families.

Here's the best advice I can give you, buy books, buying as many books as you need to gather the information to help you accomplish your home repair or home remodeling project. These books can provide you with lots of useful illustrations and the step-by-step instructions that will be necessary to understand the construction process.

I have been using great books with lots of illustrations, my entire life and have learned many things about the home repair and construction process. If you're planning on repairing your bathtub, try to find fix-it books that have some information on what you are trying to do.

There are plenty of great books out there and I would recommend any of them that apply to your needs. If you need a lot of pictures, find a book with a lot of pictures, if you have an easier time understanding step-by-step instructions, find a book that has plenty of step-by-step instructions.

I hope this has helped you, because it has helped a lot of people in the past.

If you're really interested in learning more about remodeling, new home construction, home maintenance, home repairs and really want to get the nuts and bolts of home improvement. Visit our web site and select from the best-selling home building books on the Internet.

If Your Serious About Home Improvement You Should Visit Our Newest Site On Home Repairs

What If My Contractor Does Not Return My Call

2009-10-03T19:49:00.000-07:00

This is one of the biggest problems in business today. You have some work done on your home in good faith that the contractor knows what he is doing. When all is said and done you have a problem that needs to be resolved as soon as possible. I really don't care how long it has been since the work was done. If you have a problem the least that your contractor can do is answer the telephone.

Some companies go out of business and others get to busy to respond to your problem. You will hear the old excuse "That's not my problem" or the ever popular " I didn't do that". I have been in business for over twenty years and had very few problems. Of course I built things to last as long as possible.

Keep in mind that some contractors are a one man operation and they might be on vacation. Some contractors do not answer their phones over the week ends or after business hours. So don't sink the ship to fast.

Do not call the Contractors Licensing Board or the Better Business Bureau unless it has been at least a few working days. I would give it at least a week or so. Oh yeah don't assume that the contractor got your message. Call a few times at the least.

It has always made me mad when I have to fix someone else's problems. I get the call when the other contractors won't respond. I listen to the home owner with regret for being in a business where I am considered a crook. This is one of the reasons why contractors in my business get out of it.

If you have the contractors address and they aren't responding by phone you can always send them a letter by certified mail. Request a return receipt. That's your proof that the company received your letter. Keep a copy for your files.

The good news for a home owner when a contractor will not respond to your calling them is the Department of Consumer Affairs. Most states have a complaint department of some sort that will listen to your complaints. Does this mean it will get resolved? NO there are no guarantees here.

If your state has a licensing board for contractors, this will be your next step.

This will get your contractors attention and there is a great chance they will respond now. If there are enough complaints against the contractor and they do nothing about them the contractors board will take their license away.

If your contractor does not respond after all of this. There is very little you can do about it. Hire someone to fix the problem and look at it as a very important lesson learned.

If your state doesn't have a contractors licensing board contact the Better Business Bureau or your local government for their recommendation. Ask some of your friends if they have had any problems like this and how they handled them.

For some more tips about hiring contractors go to
http://gregvan.com/library/homeowner_checklists.htm

Greg Vandenberge has been in the home building and remodeling business for over 30 years. With this knowledge he has created a few websites that provide useful information for home owners as well as contractors. His main goal is to educate professionals in the home related businesses, dealing with problems that can easily be avoided with just a little bit of information.

His website http://gregvan.com provides all kinds of answers to remodeling and new house building issues that could create major damage as well as possible damage to your pocket book.

Take Pictures of Your Growing Foundation Damage Or Cracks

2009-10-03T15:23:00.001-07:00

I champion people and try to get them to look at their house, at least once a year. One of the easiest ways to inspect your home is to use a home inspection checklist and if you really want a good home inspection checklist, there's a good chance that you are going to need to purchase one. You get what you pay for and don't ever forget that.

Foundation repairs usually start with a small crack and that's no joke. If you notice a crack, take a picture of it and save it somewhere. If you think, that the crack is actually getting a little bigger or starting to separate, you can simply take another picture and compare the two photos.

I would like to give you an example of what I'm talking about. Sometimes we look at something and we think that it's getting larger, but we don't have anything to compare it to. As time goes on, we think that the crack is still getting larger, but our mind is creating an optical illusion. This happens to a lot of people.

If you had a picture, from a few years ago, you could refresh your memory and this could be very helpful in reducing your anxiety or jumping to conclusions about foundation damage. Trust me, sometimes, I'm like a medical emergency crew, going to visit a homeowner to relieve their foundations stress. People panic over foundation cracks and I'm the doctor they call for any one of their home emergencies.

I would also advise you to take pictures of the rest of your home. How hard would it be to take about 300 pictures of your home each year and store them on your computer or on a disk, for easy access later? A picture is worth a thousand words and don't ever forget that.

Click Here for Some More Great Foundation Repair Solutions.

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What is a Three Way Home Electrical Light Switch?

2009-10-03T10:58:00.001-07:00

A three way home electrical light switch is a special light switch that can be used in your hallways, large rooms and stairways. These light switches are specially made to operate one light or a group of lights from two different locations.

They are most commonly found in hallways and provide a homeowner with the option of turning the light on at one end of the hallway and turning it off, when they are finished walking through the hallway and are about to enter into another room.

Before three way home electrical light switches were made, people would turn the hallway light on and leave it on or they wouldn't turn the hall light on at all, because they knew that after they walked down the dark hallway, they wouldn't be able to turn the light off at the other end.

Three-way light switches are also used in stairways. It makes a lot of sense, to be able to turn your stairway light on, at the bottom of the stairs and then after you have walked up the stairway safely, you can simply turn the stair lights system off.

As homes become larger, it's not going to be uncommon to find three way light switches being used at either end of large rooms. If your living room or family room was located within the center of your home and had an entrance at each end, it wouldn't be a bad idea to install a light switch at each end, for travelers who are simply walking through these room.

Remember that three-way light switches, are used to operate lights from two different locations.

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

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Nailing Or Screwing Drywall

2009-10-03T06:31:00.001-07:00

Nails versus screws who will become the winner. When drywall first came out the installers used everything from regular steel nails to galvanized roofing nails. After a short amount of time they started to develop major problems from nails popping out of the finished drywall.

Nail popping results when the nail is driven into moist lumber and as the lumber shrinks the house settles and nail can actually pop out to the walls. Hard to imagine the nail could actually pop out of the drywall as the wood was drying out.

How far the nail would actually pop out was determined by how far it was driven in to the framing studs or ceiling joists. Well pretty soon drywall installers started to use ring shank nails to eliminate this problem. This worked great but these nails were hard to drive in and would often break.

As time went on the nails improved and were made out of galvanized metal with cupped shaped heads and came in a few different sizes. The size of the nail used was determined by the thickness of the drywall. These new nails worked great and had good holding power and eliminated a lot of nail popping.

Using nails means driving them in with a hammer. If you miss the nail you damage the drywall. This seemed to be a big problem and was virtually eliminated with the screws.

Well pretty soon people started using screws which had greater holding power and pretty much nail popping. Another advantage to using screws over nails is the simple fact you need less screws than you do nails to attach the drywall to the metal or wood framing.

This means less labor installing and finishing the drywall.

There is one problem with the screws and that is they have to be set perfectly. They can not break the paper surface on the drywall but have to be set enough into the drywall so that it can be finished properly. Most screw guns have an adjustable setting used to get just the right depth for the screws installed in the drywall. But this also was a problem when screwing into a hard piece of wood you can actually snapped the screw head off, strip the screw head or break the screw.

Nails on the other hand can bend while driving them into a hard surface.

Who wins the nails versus screws while installing drywall? I have got to give it to the screws. That doesn't mean the nails just got screwed or the screws just got nailed.

I couldn't resist. I actually preferred the screws over the nails except for when nailing the drywall corner bead on. Some drywall professionals use nails to hang the drywall and go back with a screw gun and some screws to finish the job. The nails sometimes seem handier than the screws when installing the drywall.

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 and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and Carlsbad Home Improvement

The Damage One Small Water Leak Can Do

2009-10-03T02:03:00.001-07:00

What I'm about to explain to you, cost the homeowner about $1200 and it could have been fixed, with a two dollar rubber washer. When I say two dollars, it could have been even less than that, but we'll stick with two dollars.

The story you are about to listen to, deals with the renters, the owner of the rental house and the water damage repair contractor. The water damage repair contractor makes the money, the owner of the home, loses the money, and the renters, really don't care, because it's not their home anyway.

If you own property, and rent it out, I would like to advise you to, do a walk-through on your properties at least every two months. If this homeowner, would've seen the water heater damage, he could have simply went down to his local home improvement center, or plumbing supply Center and purchased a new water heater connection pipe or the rubber washer, that was leaking and repaired it.

Instead of checking up on the property, regularly, I don't really believe that the homeowner, ever went back to check on the property, once it was rented. I always feel sorry for these guys, I have to repair, all of the water damage, replace all of damaged materials, and the homeowner needs to fork out the money. The water leak ruined the water heater and it also needed to be replaced.

This is the damage that one small leak can do. I often hear people joking about it, and I even seen it on a television show one time, when the entire house collapsed and at the end of the show, the plumbing repair contractor, held up a $.15 rubber washer and told the homeowner's, that this was the problem and if they would've replaced it, their house would still be standing today.

I understand that this is the movies, but things like this really happen. So pay attention, inspect your homes on a regular basis and save yourself hundreds if not thousands of dollars in the future.

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.

Click Here To Learn More About Water Heater Damage and Repairs

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I Can't Wash the Mold Off the Walls - Mold Repair

2009-10-02T21:35:00.001-07:00

If you have mold growing on your bathroom walls, ceilings or any other walls in your home and can't seem to remove it, that's probably because it's underneath the paint. This might not make any sense, but if the mold continues to grow back, it's probably growing between the paint and the drywall or plaster.

This is real common around moist areas like your bathroom or even behind your stove if you do a lot of cooking with pots that are releasing steam, you could have a moisture problem and moisture attracts mold and mildew. If the steam is condensing on the back wall, behind the kitchen stove, you could find yourself stripping the paint or even removing the drywall to fix the problem, correctly.

If the mold is growing behind the paint, the only way you will be able to fix this, right, is to remove the paint and treat the drywall for mold. This might sound like a lot of work, but there is a simpler way, but not a more effective way.

You can simply clean the wall with chlorine or bleach, leave the area that you treated alone for a few days for until its dried out thoroughly. Then you can simply paint over the area with a semi gloss or high gloss paint. Flat or satin paints could actually absorb enough moisture to start growing the mold again. A semi gloss or high gloss paint will act like a water resistant barrier and help to prevent moisture from soaking into the wall.

Now here's the bad news, the mold hasn't gone away, you're just sealing it in the wall or ceiling. Eventually you could start to see a dark spot under your newly painted wall repair. This will tell you, that the mold is growing underneath the paint, that you just applied and probably even underneath the layer of paint, you painted over.

If you're having problems keeping the mold away, there's a good chance that it's growing underneath the paint. Clean it the best you can with bleach or chlorine, read the directions thoroughly before using these products and if the mold keeps coming back, you can paint over the mold or remove the drywall, re-plaster it and then paint over it. You have a couple of choices.

Always try cleaning the mold with bleach first and if the problem is in the bathroom, you could always leave the door open while you're showering to prevent moisture buildup in the bathroom. Open a window or turn a fan on, keep the moisture out until you know for sure mold is gone.

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:

What is Mold and Toxic Mold Pictures

Greg Vandenberge is a General Contractor, published author, internet marketing expert, motivational inspiration to millions of people all over the world and is sharing some of his wisdom with experts in the fields of writing,marketing and personal development.

Window Safety Checklist - Homeowners Must Read

2009-10-02T17:05:00.001-07:00

Broken glass is definitely a health hazard, for anyone who is near it, when the glass is actually broken. After the glass is broken and is laying on the ground in pieces, people can still get hurt. Here's a basic window safety checklist for homeowners that everyone must read. It will provide you with some simple tips that could prevent a loved one from getting seriously injured in the future.

1. Contact your local building department or fire department, to get the basic requirements for using your window as a fire escape. Your windows can be used to jump out of, if there is a fire inside your home.

2. Make sure that young children avoid playing around windows. You should always teach your children, never to throw large objects or balls in the house.

3. You might think about installing a window ladder, if you live in a two-story home, which could be made of rope or chain. These latter's can be thrown out of the window, while latching onto the window sill, in case there's a fire. It would provide you with an alternative from jumping out of the window. Don't under estimate these fire ladders, they can be extremely difficult to climb down.

4. If you leave large sliding glass doors open on a regular basis and clean them spontaneously, others might not realize they're closed, because they're so clean. Simply put a piece of tape on the window to prevent other people from thinking there open. You would be surprised how many accidents happen, from clean windows.

5. Last but not least, one of the most important problems with windows. Think security, if you leave your windows open and leave the house, someone now as easy access. There are plenty of ways to make your windows secure, using locks that clamp on to the side of the window. This will allow you to leave the windows open about 4 inches, leaving you the desired ventilation and preventing burglars from entering your domain.

If a window is cracked, or broken it should be replaced as soon as possible. Try to avoid fixing broken glass your self if you don't have any experience. Plenty of people get hurt every year, simply underestimating how sharp broken glass can actually be.

Home Window Ideas

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Five Things That a Termite Inspection Company Might Not Ever Say

2009-10-02T12:34:00.001-07:00

I don't think that I've ever heard of a termite inspector, ever go to a home and not find any termites. Even if the home doesn't have any damage that is visible from the termites, it seems like it's always a good idea, to tent the home, just in case, for protection. Anyway, here's five things that you might not ever hear a termite inspector ever say.

1. Your house is free of termites. This means that there isn't, one termite on your property and the termite inspector isn't going to make any money. Let's face it, termite damage, whether it's visible or invisible, keeps these guys working.

2. Your house isn't going to fall down, if I don't do anything to stop the termites. I have seen homes, where termites have been working on them for quite some time and they still seem to stand up and function properly.

3. Termites don't eat much and I wouldn't worry about the damage. Most termite inspectors will tell you how much a termite in Hawaii or Africa will eat in a day, but doesn't seem to have an honest idea, how much damage they are doing to your home, if they can't actually see it.

4. Every one that works for our company, has at least 30 years experience, repairing any termite damage. Don't even get me started with this one.

5. We will replace all of the termite damage wood, back to its original condition. What they might say, is that they will replace the wood that is damaged by termites, that you can actually see.

There are plenty of great termite companies out there and this article was meant just to have fun with most of them. Termite damage can be a serious problem with some homes and I would suggest that you contact at least three termite inspectors, before proceeding ahead with any home repairs or use of chemicals.

Try not to forget, the only way that a termite inspection company will make any money, looking at your house, will be to find something wrong with it.

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

If You Live in Northern San Diego County or South Orange County, and You're Looking for a Great Contractor, Click on This Link San Diego Remodeling Contractors

Thanks For Reading My Articles

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

2009-10-02T08:05:00.001-07:00

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.

If You Live in Northern San Diego County or South Orange County, and You're Looking for a Great Contractor, Click on This Link Home Remodeling Contractor

Click here if you're looking for additional Homeowner Contractor Advice. If you're interested in gathering more information on how to hire a good contractor, make sure that you visit our website.

Grandparents Don't Get to Choose

2009-10-02T06:57:00.001-07:00

One of the greatest pleasures of life is having the opportunity to be grandparents. Since my son and his wife told us they were going to have a baby, we have been on cloud nine. When they came over to our house one evening to tell us, we really didn't expect any news like we were told. In fact, all we thought was that they just came for a visit.

Sitting down at the kitchen table, my wife was presented with what looked like a gift bag. She was surprised knowing that it wasn't her birthday, nor was it mother's day, nor was it an anniversary of any kind. But, what she found at the bottom of the gift bag made her sit back with her mouth open and only a few words came out. I wondered what had shocked her.

Those words she spoke were loosely translated to mean, "Oh my goodness", repeated over and over again. I didn't have a clue what she was referring to until I saw that she was holding a pregnancy test in her hand. It took me a few seconds to clue in but once I did I then knew why my wife sputtered those words. My daughter-in-law was pregnant.

The first thing I thought of was the delight of having a new grandson to play with, to have a grandchild that would allow me to buy all those great little toys, build a swing set, and finally have an excuse to purchase some model train gear that I wanted. But, that wasn't necessarily what my daughter-in-law had in mind.

Not only did I jump the gun in wishing for a grandson (a granddaughter is OK too), I apparently jumped the gun in even thinking that I could choose my own nickname as a grandparent. It seems that my nickname had already been chosen. And, while I objected, I never had a chance to even suggest a few grandfather nicknames. That was not the case with my wife though. She knew what she wanted as a nickname and she wouldn't hear anything different. I guess I know who has the power around here and who doesn't.

I was unceremoniously given the nickname "Grampy"; no opportunity to choose let alone object. Somehow, I must look like, or act like a "Grampy". My wife, on the other hand, had her nickname chosen in her own mind and announced to all that she would be referred to as "Nanna". Oh well, I guess I can't have everything.

The long and short of it is this; being a grandparent no matter what nickname you are given, or what nickname you prefer, the little guy or girl will certainly have their own special name for "Grampy" and "Nanna", and it really doesn't matter.

But, I did really want to choose my own nickname!!

Looking for special nicknames for grandparents, or articles, and poems visit Nicknames for Grandmothers.

Taking Care of You - A Feng Shui Priority

2009-10-02T02:22:00.001-07:00

A successful independent business person named Sue is in the field of sales and also a client. She recently told me, "Without surrounding myself with Feng Shui principles, I'd never reach the end of my day meeting my self-defined sales quotas without being totally exhausted. Fortunately the Feng Shui principle of taking care of self helps to ensure that I have enough energy left at days end to shop, go out to dinner or spend quality time with my family or friends."

It is not uncommon for people in our busy, fast paced multi-tasking world to simply run out of energy well before the end of any given normal day. Not only are we constantly multi-tasking and being bombarded with over 60,000 visual and audible images every day but our days are crammed full of things we must do, those things we do for others and things we should do for self. It seems like the last thing on our list always is "taking care of self."

Are You at the Top of Your List?

In the world of Feng Shui, "taking care of self" should be on the top of your daily "will do" list, not the very last thing you tend to and then only if there is time and energy left to do so. Only when you take care of you first will you be able to perform well at work, properly care for children, nurture a spouse, have rewarding equal relationships or be a good volunteer.

Caring for self is not the same as being selfish but rather a new way of looking at living your life. Making a priority out of "Caring for self" provides you a more energized way of living and thinking. "Caring for self" as a priority develops new positive energy habits that will reward you with productivity and efficiency during the day and with enough energy left at the end of the day to do necessary household tasks, enjoy your family and social commitments. "Caring for self" as a priority also creates an environment with much less stress.

While there are no magic cures when it comes to reducing stress in our lives and energizing self, there are a few simple steps you can follow that will help energize you while reducing some of that stress in your world.

The "energy boost" Plan

Step One is always "unclutter your world." There is no exception to this step. When Sue finds herself unmotivated or in a real selling slump - she gets busy organizing and getting rid of "stuff" which helps her clear her mind - the result - improved focus and productivity. Go through your home room by room and get rid of everything that does not fit, is broken, doesn't look right in your current home or is simply stacks of "stuff" that you really do not need.

The more uncluttering you do the simpler your life becomes and the easier it is to take care of what is left. In fact, the things that are left should be only things you really love because those are the things that provide you the best positive energy.

Do you really need dozens of magazines you will never read, stacks of books you have read and will never read again or hundreds of pictures of glowing sunsets you never look at and enjoy? Will you ever again wear half of the clothes in your closet that are either a size too small or went out of style three years ago? Get rid of all of that stuff. The rule of thumb for clothing is "if it doesn't fit, is out of style or you don't feel great in it, get rid of it."

Whether you have a home office, your work is your home or you work outside of the home, follow the same procedure for uncluttering your workplace.

Next, learn to work with daily lists of things to do. Call it a "Will Do List" since that shows action and present tense. At the very top of your list place at least one thing you will do to take better care of yourself. It can be something as simple as quietly sitting in the sun by yourself for 10 minutes just relaxing; or, listening to soothing music and allowing your mind to go completely blank for 20 minutes. Only when you allow your mind to go completely blank can you remove stressful thoughts and be filled with new positive energy and new ideas.

On the remainder of the list place the things you have to do and the things you want to do. Number them in order of importance and begin with No. 1 so you always get the most important things done first but only after you've done at least one thing for you to energize you. This step alone will remove much unnecessary stress from your life.

And third, be sure to unclutter your mind not just your external surroundings and personal environment. The mind stores forever all of the negative things that have happened to you over your lifetime unless you clean them out. Most people never remember all of the wonderful and good things that have happened to them - but always manage to hold onto a misinterpreted five word phrase someone said 10 years ago or all of the hurts un-intentional and intentional as well as painful experiences. Holding onto the negative energy of misconstrued statements, arguments, painful emotions and misspoken words only keeps you in negative energy space rather than creating uplifting caring for yourself energy.

The more negative thoughts you hold onto the more negative energy you carry with you on a daily basis. If you are holding onto all of this negative energy, this may be a big reason why you may not have enough energy left at the end of the day.

The easiest way to get rid of negative thinking it to simply say to yourself, "I no longer need to hold onto _______ (your specific negative thought); I have learned all I need to learn from that experience and now I send it away forever." The more you follow this simple procedure the more positive energy you will have left at the end of the day.

If you need an energy boost, remember to unclutter your surroundings, make a daily "Will Do List" placing "caring for self" at the top of the list and unclutter your mind - get rid of all of those negative thoughts.

These few changes in your lifestyle will lower stress, help you to be more efficient and productive and provide you lots more positive energy.

Pat Heydlauff, President of Energy-by-Design (http://www.energy-by-design.com) and Feng Shui expert, is a consultant, speaker, columnist and award-winning artist. She has been consulting with individuals, families, and companies since the early 1990's, with clients ranging from California to Florida. In addition, she speaks at corporate and organizational functions, and gives seminars to enhance productivity. Pat Heydlauff can be reached at balancingenergy@energy-by-design.com

Grandparenting - Keeping Up With the Little Ones

2009-10-01T21:57:00.001-07:00

One of my great delights is spending time with my two grandchildren ages 4 and 2. They are bundles of energy and can find joy in so many things.

I have found that the better care I take of myself the more I can enjoy my time with them.

Here are a few of the things I do that help me keep up with them.

1. Get regular exercise

I am convinced that being in the habit of walking regularly is keeping me active and energized. It wasn't always so. I would start and stop and berate myself for my lack of discipline. A few years ago I made the decision that it was important for me to stay active as long as possible. Now that I am 70 I want to also stay flexible for which I do Pilates, have a good mind-body balance for which Yoga is good, and lift weights to strengthen my bones.

2. Be with the children in the moment

Children live in the present and that is something we can re-learn from them. We adults can fret about the past or worry about the future and forget to be mindfully present. When the children and I play I enter their world. I marvel at their imagination where reality and fantasy get blurred. I have also learned when to step back and let them play by themselves.

3. Live joyfully

A positive attitude makes life more fun. For the little ones a kiss on a "booboo" fixes it and life resumes. They don't get stuck with ruminating but can shift to what interests them. Fortunately we have control over our attitude and can do the same. Many things that can weigh us down may not be as heavy as we may make them in our minds. A positive attitude and an active body are energizing and make it possible to keep up with the grandchildren.

For more tips and tools on recharging your life and renewing your spirit please visit: http://www.GrowWithKristina.com and http://www.kristinavonr.com Kristina von Rosenvinge is a self-growth and relationship expert who enjoys teaching individuals how to live to the fullest.

Feng Shui - Some Useful Points

2009-10-01T17:26:00.001-07:00

Humans are a part of the environment and everything affects us; the directions, the elements and even the placement of objects have a lot of significance in our lives. If we understand the energies that surround us and how best to harmonize our homes and offices with them, there can be a marked difference in our lives.

Feng Shui is a science of living in harmony with the environment so that the energies do not get disrupted. Healthy exchange of energies is vital for our physical and mental well being.

The scientific research has revealed that everything is energy. The smallest of the elements and matter can be broken down quarks which are nothing but energy. Einstein's equation also reveals that matter and energy are interconvertible. Hence the principles of Feng Shui are actually quiet scientific. Fen Shui believes that everything has energy which is known as "chi". The uninterrupted or the disrupted flow of this energy creates all the harmony or the problems in our lives. Hence the placement of objects, furniture, windows and doors needs to be in harmony with the environment. This harmony then permeates into the life of the person and brings prosperity.

There are many principles of Feng Shui which are simple and easy to follow, so here are some tips:

The entrance door or the main door of the house should be devoid of any clutter and dirt. Dirty smells or dirt should be kept away from the entrance since chi travels with the air and can bring dirty smells which can cause problems.
Mirrors facing your bed or on the side are strictly prohibited in Feng Shui since this can lead to a third person meddling into your relationship and cause fights.
The fashionable bunk beds are not allowed in Feng Shui since chi needs to circulate around and under the bed. Hence, the person sleeping in the lower bunk bed may have problems associated with health.
Many people like to decorate their homes with ornamental knives and swords. This is alright but you need to take care that the tips of these weapons should point in the direction of the doors and windows and not inside the house.
Clutter can really create havoc in your life since it blocks chi. Hence you need to keep your office space or worktable clean and clear so that positive energy abounds.

These are some general tips to enhance your life with Feng Shui. These days there are many divorces and break ups taking place. Here are some Feng Shui tips to enhance your relationship with Feng Shui:

If you are in a new relationship, then you need to let go of the past. Throw away everything which has a connection to a past relationship, old photographs and keep sakes need to go so that new ones can come in.
People often have computers and televisions in their bedroom. However, we need to remember that bedrooms are basically meant for tranquility, romance and relaxation. Hence, find a different place for these equipments as their energies are in conflict with the bedroom. Television and other equipments have a yang energy which interferes with your sleep and relaxation and also does not let you concentrate on your partner.

These tips will help you in understanding and enhancing your relationships to bring peace and prosperity in your life.

Keith Ward is the Founder and Director of the Circle of Professional Clairvoyants, which offers Psychic Readings with fully qualified Psychics and Senior UK Clairvoyants.

Feng Shui Tips For Your Home and Garden

2009-10-01T12:59:00.001-07:00

The entry to a home or the doorway into rooms is where your first view is encountered. Doorways and entrances to anything should feel welcoming. They should be clear and the pathway should allow ease of movement.

The Chi, (or energy flow), should never be made stagnant at this point. Pictures and ornamental decorations in this area should be pleasing and round leafed plants in pots attract prosperity into the home. Another tip to remember is that if you have doorways from front to back that are visible, the flowing of energy should be stopped from escape.

A Feng Shui cure for this problem, can be by placing a plant as suggested to the side of the entry: thus creating an environment to capture the Chi flow. The essence of creating good flow and attracting harmony, involves placement.

Feng Shui recognizes that small problems can have a major effect on your life, and that a well kept home will always have better chi than one where maintenance tasks have been allowed to pile up. The minor problems and inconveniences that plague a poorly maintained home can restrict your freedom of movement, cloud your ability to understand a situation, make it difficult to take advantage of opportunities, and waste your resources.

Think of Chi as an important guest you wish to welcome to your home, and make your formal entry - and the access to it from the street - as inviting as possible.

The principles of Feng Shui can be applied to your garden as well. By applying Feng Shui principles to your garden you can attract positive energy, wealth and good fortune. Given below are a few tips and ideas on how to Feng Shui your garden.

The most important principles of Feng Shui in the garden are curves and proportion. Your house is the Yin energy and your garden is the Yang energy. The Yang aspect in Feng Shui is about light and space. Try to incorporate all the five elements of Feng Shui in your garden as much as possible.

- Use a pond, birdbath or fountain to represent the water element.
- Use a sundial or bronze statue in the garden for metal.
- Use trees and shrubs for wood.
- Use plants or flowers that are red and orange in color to represent fire.
- Use earth to represent the earth element.

Water features such as pools, ponds and fountains are beautiful and encourage beneficial chi. They also symbolize prosperity and create yin (feminine) energy.

You can create more Yang (masculine) energy by using garden lights to add light to the garden's dark areas. Remember balance and harmony is the key to a Feng Shui Garden.

Please take the time to visit our site - http://www.GardenandHomeDecorSite.com - to help with creating beneficial Chi in your environment.

We offer beautiful stone water fountains, wall fountains, garden planters, bird houses and feeders, garden furniture and hammocks, garden statues and plaques.

In addition, we offer home decor such as an array of different types of candles, glass sculptures, vases, and table-top fountains. Turn your garden, patio, deck, or home into the oasis you have always dreamed of.

The Power of Pizza

2009-10-01T08:26:00.000-07:00

Did you know that Pizza has power?

Pizza has the power to add a smile to a youngster, an adult, and a gathering! Often times, it is the simple things that bring glory to the end of a day. Think about it, your getting home late from work and you have to be someplace in two hours. Do you have time to cook? Probably not, you will probably need to change and find time for something to eat. Whats the answer? Give your favorite pizza shop a call on the way home. This will free up some time for you, by the time you get ready for your plans, the pizza can be delivered! Most pizza shops even have plates and napkins available so you wont even have to worry about the dishes. That pizza probably just saved you a good 30 minutes of time and in that 30 minutes, you can grab a little bit of relaxation!

Are you planning a gathering for a sporting event, birthday party, or movie night? Would you rather be cooking all day and then have to clean all those dishes or would you rather save time and order some sheet pizzas? For gatherings of all sizes, most pizza shops can make enough pizza to tame the hunger bugs! Its simple on your part, leaves you will very little clean-up, and everybody loves pizza! Believe or not, most pizza shops love to offer pizzas to large groups, it gives them exposure to a number of people. When you are in need of a lot of pizza, ask the pizza shop about catering prices or large pizza specials or pizza coupons, it will earn you a better price per slice!

Finally we have the youngster of today that we all so dearly love! Think back to when you were a kid, do you ever have pizza night? Im sure most of you did. I know my family had pizza night on a lot of Friday evenings. That night was usually the time we gathered and enjoyed some pizza and movies! It was togetherness and it always brought a smile to my face! Kids love pizza, its a food they can truly enjoy. So if you have youngsters, set aside a night and enjoy some time together with that oh so good slice of pizza and a movie! Bring back those times of yester year, they seem to be forgotten sometimes in this day in age.

Keep it simple, enjoy a slice of life! Wishing you Happy Pizza Eating!

A veteran of the pizza industry making sure your pizza is the best you can get! For more information about the pizza industry, visit http://www.pizzawars.net . We specialize in pizza industry information, pizza specials, menu's, coupons, and more!

Spicing Up Your Home With Asian Inspired Home Decor

2009-09-08T06:59:00.001-07:00

Asia is definitely a land which is full of rich culture which goes centuries back. A choice of elegant and distinct Asian decorations can be a great addition to any home. There are a variety of Asian inspired home decorations that you can find to spice up the atmosphere in your home. Here are a few ideas that you might want to look into.

Water fountains The sound of water flowing always helps to bring a calming and relaxing ambience. There are many different Asian inspired water fountains that can bring this ambience to your home, and bring in elegance as well. An example of a water fountain decoration is the Zen Table Fountain, which is imported right in from China. It represents a waterfall and features amber glass and resin. Bamboo fountains are also wonderful water fountains to add to your home. In fact, bamboo is believed to spread good fortune to things such as relationships and money. These fountains also feature decorative rocks and a resin bowl. There are even Asian inspired fountains which feature the well-known the Chinese Buddha.
Asian clocks Asian inspired clocks can bring a sense of sophistication and a bit of foreign style into your home. Many people are aware of the ancient Chinese art and science of Feng Shui, which optimizes the harmony in one's environment to make for quite a happy home. There are Feng Shui compass clocks available out there which are said to transform the flow of negative energy into a nourishing flow, also known as nourishing qi.
Lucky trees and plants Plants are a well-known as great decorations to any home. In Asia, there are a few decorative plants which are believed to be lucky. For example for thousands of years now, bamboo plants have symbolized good fortune in health and wealth. They also are great accents to any home interior. The Japanese have their own lucky plants known as the Jasper lucky trees. These feature the precious stone of jasper which is believed to bring forth protection and healing while keeping away negative energy as well. Also the vibrant red color will help it to stand out beautifully in your home.
Wall decor For a unique addition to the walls of your home, you could get a print of Chinese calligraphy. This ancient art is said to be able to evoke emotion by the different designs that can be made. Also, Chinese wall scrolls feature calendars and lucky bamboo images are a way to bring the Asian culture into your home.
Boxes Making use of boxes is another way to decorate your home. Some Asian inspired jewelry boxes can give your home that unique look. These boxes are intricately designed, and some are even hand crafted to perfection. There are Thai inspired boxes, Balinese inspired basket sets, and Tibetan boxes which bring back a little bit the culture of each place into your home.

No matter how your house is decorated, any Asian inspired accent can surely fit nicely with everything else, and maybe it could bring you a bit of good luck as well.

John James blogs about discount rugs at BoldRugs. Their site has a wide selection of rugs from traditional area rugs to contemporary rugs.

Feng Shui in the Workplace

2009-09-08T03:04:00.001-07:00

Ergonomics,
PDAs and company
wellness
programs are all
geared for healthier, more
productive employees. Each of
these has its role in whether an
employee wants to go to work,
goes willingly and produces
mightily or not.

The feel or impression
of the energy in the office is
the unseen factor that often
is the cause of excessive sick
days, increased stress and reduced
productivity. You may
be wondering how you can fix
a problem that is not tangible.
Feng Shui, an ancient Chinese
system used to determine the
beneficial or harmful effects of
land or buildings on human beings
that literally means wind
and water, provides simple
solutions that team members
can embrace.

Factors Seen and
Unseen

First we have to play
detective and find the culprit
of negative energy. We can
physically see some of the conditions
causing negative energy
like clutter, disorganization,
lack of cleanliness, chipped
and dirty paint, dated furniture
and a collection of accessories
old enough to span decades of
annual tax returns.
Finding the other unseen
conditions is more of
a challenge as they reside in
the realm of stagnant or stuck
energy, poor air quality and
environmental hazards not
easily found or remembered as
foe.

In Feng Shui, often negative
conditions found in office
environments are those of
stuck or stagnant energy and
the lack of fresh air. These conditions
may cause depression
and complacency, leading to a
rise in the cost of maintaining
the retention and productivity
of employees.

Fallout of Negative
Energy

In the busy workday, we
go along meeting deadlines,
gaining new clients and making
payroll. There may be brief
moments of imparting gratitude
and thanks to employees;
however, overall, unless there
is a crisis, its business as
usual.

Then one day we are the
recipient of a wake up call
from this daily routine. It is
noticeable that the number
of employee sick days has
increased or that productivity
is down, we are hiring
again, and there is much more
stress among the employees.
These are the unexpected consequences
of not paying attention
to the unseen factors or
conditions in the workplace
environment.

Negative Energy
Is the Sentry

Yes, there it is, prominent
and problematic: The dead
shrub, the pile of free advertisements
tossed by the office
door or the cracked and crumbly
sidewalk with its stuck,
stagnant energy welcoming all
who enter.
Negative energy at your
front door is not conducive to
keeping your bottom line in
the black. Implement the following
five Feng Shui tips to
create positive energy for the
all-important first impression.

1. Neat and tidy. Make
that the company mantra.

2. Keep doors opening
wide. Obstructed doorways
limit creativity, productivity
and business.

3. Seeing is believing. Be
sure your signage is visible,
recognizable and emanates
your companys image.

4. Light the way. Make it
joyful for employees to come
to work and easy for clients to
find your door.

5. Raise the chi. Add
something red around the
front entrance. A flowering
shrub with red berries such as
Nandina Domestica, some red
lettering on the door, a banner
or flag all add a flair of cheerfulness
for all who enter.

Positive Energy in the
Workplace

You may not be able to
sense negative energy, but here
are six fast tips to create positive
energy in your office.

1. No clutter. Insist on clutter-
free desks and work spaces.
Pull the team together, develop
a plan and set a timeline to
get clutter under control. The
buddy system works well
here. Allow adequate time
and a guilt-free environment
to complete the task. Plan periodic
clutter busting work
days throughout the year to
keep clutter under control and
positive energy high.

2. Reduce toxins. Install
toxin-eating indoor plants.
Peace Lilies are forgiving, easy
to grow and produce beautiful
blooms, and they can be positioned
nicely over a cubicle, on
a desk or on the floor.

3. Create clean air. Exchange
poor air quality by
opening doors and windows
daily. If this is not possible,
diffuse pure essential oils (no
flame) to cleanse the air or
install an ionizer or both.

4. Increase motivation. Adequate
and beneficial lighting,
such as full-spectrum, is essential
to health and happiness.
Replace overhead florescent
bulbs, add up-lighting in dark
corners and provide a variety of
lighting options to employees
as some are sensitive to different
types of wavelengths.

5. Reduce stress. A proper
type of sound is soothing. Kinetic
sculptures, soft but stimulating
music and area fans add
movement to sound to provide
a double-duo for a comfortable
Feng Shui
is your friend.

Use these basic
principles in your office, review
and renew them frequently to
keep the office energy positive
and the cash flow in the black.
Yarrow is a certified Feng Shui
consultant and can be reached
at 410-271-1377 and yarrow@
fengshuiatthebay.com.

YARROW
102 Roosevelt Court, Annapolis MD 2403 410.626.1316 yarrow@FengShuiAtTheBay.com

http://www.FengShuiAtTheBay.com Yarrow maintains that it is all about energy. She began exploring energy in the 70's utilizing at-hand knowledge of Native American traditions, awareness of life experiences, holding the question of what is really going on & applying this knowledge to her own life. Her curiosity of energy evolved into the study & practice of Feng Shui in 2001. Yarrow is a contributing author to the womens anthology: The Spirit of Women Entrepreneurs Real-life Stories of Determination, Growth & Prosperity. She is available for public speaking engagements.

Yarrow is a freelance writer & a graduate of a three-year PsychoSynthesis course out of Berkeley, California. She writes for Taste of the Bay Magazine, Lilipoh Magazine (global distribution) & other periodicals. She has studied with Australian Author Eric Dowsett, Rev. Lin Yun, Karen Kingston, Steven P

Applying Feng Shui Principles to Your Car

2009-09-07T23:11:00.001-07:00

Feng shui may be an ancient practice but it doesn't mean you can't use its core principles and apply them to your favorite set of wheels. And come to think of it, it does make perfect sense to optimize the positive energy inside something you spend some time in everyday. Here's a brief rundown of some simple things you can do:

The Way of the Water. Water is pure and free-flowing. Adapt these qualities by keeping a bottle of water inside your car. Plus, you'll never go thirsty!

Tidy Up! Get rid of all the unwanted stuff - candy wrappers, cigarette cases, old receipts, empty bottles, etc - and make your car spic-and-span! Doing so will give you more freedom of movement and more space.

Purge Negativity! Of course, you can always start by thinking positively. Then you can make use of certain time-tested agents and tokens of positivity like sweet grass, seasalt or you could hang a crystal on a blue ribbon on your rearview mirror.

Heaven Scent! Keep the air inside your car fresh and clean. Lemon is a good choice, so is rosemary. Always go for organic instead of artificial.

Get by with a little help from your animal friends. Dragons are supposed to be good protectors against evil elements. Of course, finding a real dragon may not be that easy, you can choose to put a cute dragon stuffed toy on the dashboard instead.

Affirm! Never underestimate the power of affirmation. Scribble an affirmation phrase on a piece of paper, e.g. "I got the coolest ride in town!", and put it in your glove compartment or better yet, glue it on your steering wheel. And before you know it, you already have the coolest car in town!

Know your color! Go red if you're ambitious. Pick silver or gold if you hunger for adventure. If you're constantly afflicted with wanderlust, paint your car violet or green. If you're the type who likes to get down to business all the time, then blue or black is the color for you.

For some of us, the car is like a second home. And what better way to have it "cleansed" of unwanted elements than to have it feng shui'd? Besides, it won't cost you that much.

Guile Canencia is a writer and researcher for the IBC Japan Team. He is an avid blogger and likes to play soccer on weekends. IBC Japan specializes in exporting used cars from Japan with regional distribution centers worldwide.

Prepare More Healthy Meals

2009-09-07T19:19:00.001-07:00

When preparing healthy meals, the ingredients used should be fresh whenever possible. Ingredients of poor quality will produce unhealthy food no matter what the initial motive was. An alternative would be frozen or canned foods packed in water or their own juice instead of heavy syrup. Keep them free from artificial colourings and flavourings too as their natural colours and tastes should be more than enough to satisfy your taste buds.

Meat should be lean (if possible, about 85% fat free) with as little visible fat as possible. Chicken should be skinless and beef should be minced and mixed with ground chicken or turkey to further reduce the total fat content.

Look for whole grain products or breads with the words "whole wheat flour" printed on the labels. Do not be mislead by words like enriched flour, which is actually white flour with colouring like molasses to make it appear like a whole grain product. Always check the labels before purchasing and avoid anything you have never heard of before.

Consider extra virgin olive oil as an ingredient. It is produced from the first pressing of the olives, and is thus of the highest quality possible. It is most commonly used as salad dressings but may be used in a variety of ways when preparing your meals. Light olive oil on the other hand is perfect for cooking.
Yogurt and cheese should be low in fat content. Milk on the other hand is proffered to be 1 or 2%, unless medical reasons permit the use of skimmed milk only. A little fat is of course good and products such as Cottage Cheese would be less healthy without it.

Fruit juices do not contain the fiber of fresh fruits which explains why an apple is more satisfying then just gulping down the juice. Furthermore, additives and flavourings are often mixed into the juice which is not so healthy.

Dark Chocolate is healthy and should be included in your diet. It contains more beneficial antioxidants than a glass of red wine. Simply take an ounce of it after meals for best results.

There are many other ingredients out there for healthy meals. Simply explore the world of natural foodstuffs and they will present themselves.

Visit my Healthy Recipe Blog for all kinds of Pakistani and Chinese Recipes.

How to Create More Good Luck For Yourself in 2009

2009-09-07T15:24:00.001-07:00

I mentioned in my previous article that this is a double Earth year. 2009 is the Earth Ox year,and Ox also represents Earth. This article is specially written for 3 groups of people. Firstly,those born in Earth months. People born in Earth months already have plenty of Earth in their 8 characters. They don't need more Earth. More Earth will only cause their luck cycle to be down.

There are 2 people in my family born in Earth months. Not only that,their chart is dominated by Earth. They are my grandmother and my eldest aunt. I am quite concerned about them,especially in terms of health. Though this article is also for them,both of them don't use the internet. I will still have to advise them verbally.

The Earth months are as follows:

Dragon Month: 5th April to 5th May

Sheep Month: 7th July to 7th August

Dog Month: 8th October to 7th November

Ox Month: 6th January to 3rd February

The next group of people are those born in Autumn (8th August to 7th October). This group of people are not affected as much as those born in Earth months, but they still need to improve their luck cycle. As I mentioned before,Autumn people have a lot of Metal in their 8 characters. Metal is unfavorable to them. Since this is a double Earth year, it will produce more Metal, which is unfavorable.

The last group of people are the Winter born people (8th November to 5th January). Among the 3 groups, you are the least affected. Your luck cycle will be quite average this year, as Earth weakens Fire, which is your favorable element.

Before you can improve your luck cycle, you need to know which element is needed. Whatever information I share with you here is only 80% accurate, as I don't have your exact date of birth. But basing on month, I can tell you which are likely your favorable elements.

For those born in Earth months, you need to increase the effect of Wood in 2009. Wood destroys Earth. By using Wood, you can improve your luck cycle in 2009. This especially applies to Fire people born in Earth months. If you are born in Autumn or Winter, you will need both Fire and Wood.

Fire first because Autumn and Winter are consider the cold seasons. Wood is used to strengthen the Fire and keep it going. For Autumn people, you need Fire because Fire helps to weaken Metal. This especially applies if you are an Earth or Fire person born in Autumn. For Autumn people, Wood alone also works, as Metal destroys Wood,Wood will help to weaken the strong Metal.

For the Winter people, Fire is the most important element as you need to "anti-freeze". With only Wood, there is not much effect. You need to have Fire first, then Wood. In conclusion, Wood and Fire are required for improving your luck cycle this year. Next, I will list out what are the 16 things you can do on a daily basis to increase the effect of Wood and Fire in your life.

1. Using Green. This can mean wearing more Green clothes, wearing anything Green or using anything Green. (Increases Wood)

2. Spending more time at book shops or libraries. Reading more newspapers or magazines. Spending more time writing on paper. Paper represents the Wood element. (Increases Wood)

3. Spending more time shopping for clothes, wearing more than 1 layer of clothes. As mentioned earlier, Green is Wood. Wearing more Green will increase the effect more. If you are in the army, 2009 will be quite good for you. (Increases Wood)

4. Go for morning walks at the park, especially from 5am to 7am. 5am to 7am is the Rabbit hour. It is the hour with the most Wood throughout the whole day. During your morning walk, go and touch the biggest tree you can find. (Increases Wood)

5. Travel East or face East. East is the direction of Wood. (Increases Wood)

6. Hang around or spend more time with people born in Spring (4th February to 4th April). These people have lots of Wood in their 8 characters. They can help you reduce the effect of Earth. (Increases Wood)

7. Eating more vegetables,especially leafy green ones. Better if you go vegetarian. (Increases Wood)

8. Keeping a Rabbit or Cat as a pet. In Chinese Astrology,the Rabbit and Tiger represents Wood. Since Tigers and cats are from the same family,cats also represent Wood. By keeping these 2 types of animals as pets,you can increase Wood. If you don't want the hassle of keeping pets,you can also have figures or soft toys of these 2 types of animals. (Increases Wood)

9. Using Red,Orange or Purple.This means wearing clothes of these colors and using anything with these colors. (Increases Fire)

10. Go sun tanning, spending more time at your computer,spending more time at lighting shops or electrical appliance shops. (Increases Fire)

11. Spending more time talking on your cell phone. The effect of Fire is stronger when using your cell phone as compared to your home or office phone. (Increases Fire)

12. Eat more hot and spicy or BBQ food. Better still if you barbecue the food yourself. Cooking is also a Fire activity. Even by spending more time in the kitchen is also considered increasing Fire in your life. (Increases Fire)

13. Spend more time with people born in Summer (6th May to 6th July). These people have too much Fire. They'll love to have someone (usually Winter people) to come along and help them balance their Fire. (Increases Fire)

14. Keeping your bathroom lights (your bedroom's bathroom) on throughout the night. This increases Fire and reduces Water. (Increases Fire)

15. Travel South or face South. South is the direction of Fire. (Increases Fire)

16. Spend more time driving, especially if you have a Red car. Cars represent Fire. The longer you stay in your car, the stronger the effect of Fire. (Increases Fire)

I hope you will benefit from these 16 tips. Next article, I will share with you basing on your chinese horoscope, what 2009 has in store for you. Stay tuned!

Marco Chong is the author of "The 58 Secret Keys To Home Feng Shui That You Must Know". He practices Flying Star Feng Shui and specializes in home feng shui. Marco has been practicing feng shui and Chinese astrology since 1992.

For more information, visit http://www.58fengshuisecretkeys.com

Feng Shui and Pets

2009-09-07T11:29:00.001-07:00

I'm sure you've heard of it, unless you've been living under a rock for the past couple of decades, butI'd like to give you my own description of Feng Shui.

Feng Shui is the ancient practice utilized by the Chinese to assist in harmonizing everything that surrounds you.The idea is that as long as everything around you is harmonious, your own energy and the cosmic energy, or Ch'I, will help you increase your happiness, your health, your wealth, your family life, your relationships etc. Feng Shui teaches us how to place our furniture, our decorations, and how to use our colors and textures to achieve the greatest benefits possible in each area of our life.

Many people see Feng Shui as a superstition, and I tell them they couldn't be more wrong. Although Feng Shui gives you "cures" for the problematic areas of your house, office, apartment, etc., their purpose is mostly to add an element that a certain area might be missing. Feng Shui teaches us the best way to achieve harmony.

Feng Shui uses a lot of common sense. If you walk into your house or apartment and you see clothes lying around, dirty dishes in the kitchen, a burnt out bulb in the entrance, a TV that doesn't work in your den... what do you feel? I'd bet you start feeling stressed thinking how you haven't had time to clean the place, how you have to find the time to change the bulb, how you have to wash the dishes or fix the TV. That's energy that just drained from you.But, if you come in and you are welcomed by a clean and organized place, and you see harmonious colors, and smell nice aromas, your stress level will drop considerably. Don't you feel just great when you've finally get that faucet fixed? Doesn't it take a weight off your shoulders when you finally organize your drawers?

Sometimes all it takes is adding a light to a dark corner, or a splash of color in the room or a plant in front of the window to make the place come alive. Have you ever been in someone's home and just feel so comfortable you don't want to leave? On the flip side, there are places that you just can't wait to get out of!

Well, pets are particularly sensitive to the energies around our home and surrounding environment. Animals have the ability to sense things that humans don't. Observe your pet. They can give you an idea of how Ch'i is working in your home.

Almost all cats and dogs know what room and what area of the roomthey do best in. Their health and their character reflect the energy of the house and the people living in it. When pets are ill,lethargic, or maybe even overweight, chances are that people in your household have the same symptoms. If your animals are happy, well adjusted and lively, that will be the general feeling in your life.

Simply getting a pet if you don't already have one is a good way to enhance your Ch'i. Animals represent fire energy. Adding fire energy to your life will make you more passionate and will give you motivation to do the thingsyou like. They can help with depression, loneliness or bring a welcome change if you're in a rut. They just make life better.

You also have to give them a harmonious life. Get down to their height. Look around. What would you see if you were a small animal? Make sure that there's no mess under the bed, which, by the way, would be bad Feng Shui for you as well. Look at the corners of the floor. Do you see dust bunnies or accumulated dirt? Look under the sofas. Under the coffee table. Remember that whatever you do for them, will also be good for you.

Give them a place of their own. A bed, their water bowl, their toys, make it nice.

When you don't feed, bathe and nurture your pet properly, your Feng Shui will suffer. Even if you don't realize it, the way you treat people, pets and plants is very important for your own self-image and well being.

Animals are the best way to experience good Feng Shui. Find out the pros and cons of getting a new pet and adopt a friend from your animal shelter. You won't regret it and your life will definitely improve.

If you want to read more stories and find very useful information about your cats and dogs, please visit me at http://www.yourpetsuniverse.com, and read more about Feng Shui at http://www.lifewithfengshui.com

Is There Any Remedy For Anxiety? Part VIII

2009-09-07T07:36:00.001-07:00

An effective remedy for anxiety is usually one that is healthy as well. While medications induce the bad side effects I would not call them healthy. Medications are only fast and temporary anxiety relievers which in most of the cases will not cure anxiety. I've listed some ways that will help you considerably.

* Chocolate

By eating chocolate more adrenaline is released in the brain. Chocolate causes changes in blood pressure and changes the levels of blood sugars, which leads to excitement and happiness. Large quantities of chocolate are not recommended, also people suffering from heart problems should avoid chocolate. However all the substances that are found in chocolate, including phenylethymine increase decrease anxiety and depression and increases the mood.

Have you ever felt like you are in love after eating chocolate ? It is proven that chocolate relieves anxiety, so go ahead and try it !

Conclusion : Chocolate is a great remedy for anxiety, it will help reduce anxiety and prevent future panic attacks. Large quantities are not recommended.

* Sex

Sex is healthy for the body and mind. When you making love more adrenaline is released into the body which makes you happier and relives tension. Try to focus on it and think about just the one you love.

Several popular Feng Shui techniques are easy to be practiced while making love. Lit up some aromatic candles and place some petals on the bed. You can be inventive, or purchase a Feng-Shui guide from your local bookstore.

Conclusion : Sex is not only a stress-reliever but it helps your blood circulation, heart functioning and breathing, in other words it is such a great remedy for anxiety, it will make you healthier.

* Eat Your Favorite Food

If you suffer from anxiety it is recommended that you eat healthy. Eat what you like as long as it is healthy. I love sea food, which is proven to help the brain cells functioning.

I also enjoy eating fresh tuna salads with olive oil and tomatoes. In anxiety it is recommended that you split 3 meals that you would normally eat into 5 or 6. This will help your digestive system to work more effective. Do not forget to take a snack between breakfast and lunch.

Try to avoid coffee and tobacco.

Conclusion : Eating things that you like will let you relieve part of your anxiety. Food is important in treating anxieties and depression, therefore healthy, natural, high protein and vitamin meals are a great remedy for anxiety.

Now you can go on find out some of the most effective treatments and Natural Cures For Anxiety available now. You can stop anxiety and panic attacks from the comfort of your home without any medication, expensive counseling or therapies, all you need is to take action.

Check out the complete list of anxiety programs :

Anxiety Cures - Top Rated

All About Alaska King Crab Fishing

2009-09-07T03:45:00.001-07:00

Most people who enjoy a good crab know that Alaskan king crab is synonymous with flavor. Until recently though, most people did not know that Alaskan king crab fishing is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Why is that? Because "crabbing," as it is called, requires the fishermen to sail out to the deep sea in the heart of winter, which as you can imagine, is also the season of treacherous storms. The season is short and sleep is limited. Compared to the average worker, the fatality rate among the fishermen is about 90 times higher. But to read accounts of crab fishermen is to know that there is an allure to the lifestyle, a connection to the sea that keeps them returning to the icy waters to make their potentially deadly catch.

Though crabs are caught in Russia and in international waters, the most prominent (and sustainable) of king crab fishing occurs off the coast of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. In 1980 the crab fishing industry with at a peak, presenting a catch of over 200 million pounds of crab; however, due to many factors, catches decreased after this year and thus the season was shortened to accommodate regeneration. The harvest now is performed in a very short amount of time and then the catch is shipped worldwide. Recent Alaskan king crab fishing seasons have been as short as 4 days, and can range from one to two weeks.

There are more or less three varieties of king crab that are commercially viable: In Alaska, three species of king crab are caught commercially: the red king crab, the blue king crab, and the golden king crab. Baited with cut fish, steel traps or pots are pushed over the side of a large boat. Each pot is marked with a buoy, which also signifies its owner. Pots are hauled in, at the right time, usually based on gut instinct and years of experience more than an actual science. When full the pots that must be dragged up can weigh well over a ton, presenting a serious risk to the fishermen and their boat. Pots are quickly emptied into the hold of the boat, rebaited, and returned to the ocean floor.

Alaskan king crab fishing is without a doubt a dangerous job, but the fruits of the labor are a delicious treat for the public at large.

Alaska is home to an abundant variety of seafood, and offers some of the purest marine, freshwater, and upland habitats on the planet.

From the clear crystal waters comes seafood that is delicious and healthy. Alaskan seafood is low in fat but big on flavor and Omega-3 oils. You can study thousands of pages of nutritional research. Or, simply observe the amazing health and longevity of people in countries where seafood is the most important part of their diet. Either way, Alaska seafood is as healthy as it is delicious.

Are you are looking for a meal that is low in saturated fat, filled with nutrients and packed with good heart healthy Omega-3s oils? Then you should start with Alaska Seafood.

http://www.alaskaseafood.org

Feng Shui Tips For Your Home and Garden

2009-09-06T23:52:00.001-07:00

Think of Chi as an important guest you wish to welcome to your home, and make your formal entry - and the access to it from the street - as inviting as possible.

Water features such as pools, ponds and fountains are beautiful and encourage beneficial chi. They also symbolize prosperity and create yin (feminine) energy.

You can create more Yang (masculine) energy by using garden lights to add light to the garden's dark areas. Remember balance and harmony is the key to a Feng Shui Garden.

Please take the time to visit our site - http://www.GardenandHomeDecorSite.com - to help with creating beneficial Chi in your environment.

We offer beautiful stone water fountains, wall fountains, garden planters, bird houses and feeders, garden furniture and hammocks, garden statues and plaques.

Feng Shui and Relationships

2009-09-06T19:58:00.001-07:00

There are any of a number of things when it comes to Feng Shui that can be done to better and enhance your life, your loves and the relationships of those around you and those that you love.

First of all. If you are looking for a relationship and are having trouble, troubles or difficulty in finding a relationship it may well be that in the final analysis s that you are just not paying enough attention to the Yin or Yang. (Depending of course if you are looking for a woman or a man in your home). Of course with all of simple tricks, tools and understanding of the basics of Feng Shui these can all be corrected. All said it's a very simple matter to get what you want out of life and solve this situation or situations that arise. Simply make adjustments to your dcor to encourage that special someone to come into your life and flower.

If you are looking for a man, then you need to make the left side (as you are facing your door) or "Yang" side or your home more eye catching and full of inherent appeal. Thus by simply drawing attention to the "Dragon " side of your house , home or abode you are thus giving the subliminal message that you are paying great as well as valuable attention to men. Overall this can be done simply and easily - there is not need to invest all too heavily. Flowers, painting or anything else bright and cheerful will do. Take care not to overdo it though - you may find that you have way to more men than you can handle - well at least easily. On the other side of the fence if you are looking for female companionship you would brighten and freshen up the right side.

Making amends are another major area of most people's life and their difficulties involving relationships with others. A new broom clears all and sweeps all the debris of the past which may be interfering with your current and ongoing relationships and interface transitions. Yet you may well have run into many people who not only can never admit that they are in the wrong and may even imply and insist that to admit that a person is wrong is a sign of direct weakness and thus will be the beginning of the end for those people who admit that they are wrong or are currently in the wrong position. Nothing can be further from the truth. Look at President Obama who actively admitted that he had "screwed up".

If you have had a serious argument with your spouse, or companion, tie your two wedding rings together with a red ribbon. Next, put these on your bed head for at least seventy two days. You can trust that the love Qi that is stored in these powerful and mystic rings will heal the hurt each night while you lie down in bed. Alternatively if you do not have rings you can tie two carved wooden turtles (which represent longevity) on the bed head.

Feng Shui.

Morris E. Brown Quality Inn Suites Winnipeg

Winnipeg Hotel Reservations King Cole Catering Domain Manitoba Winnipeg Catering Canada

The Weird and Wonderful World of Wonky Cakes - How to Make and Decorate a Wonky Cake

2009-09-06T16:04:00.001-07:00

Wonky cakes are designed to be exactly the opposite of traditional cakes, with their straight sides and flat tops. Instead Wonky cakes have both sloping sides and top. This type of cake is usually round, and preferably a fruit or Madeira mix - and ideally four inches deep. An electric carving knife comes in handy when cutting cakes. It makes a clean cut and is quick to use. Some types of cake start to crumble when cut, so freezing them for an hour or two will make them easier to handle.

There are two ways of making cakes look 'wonky' one design is more extreme than the other, as not only are the cakes wider at the top than the bottom, but they also look as if they are about to topple over! To arrive at this shape place a thin cake board, 2" smaller than the size of the cake - or use a saucer, of the same size - in the centre of the top surface of the cake.

Then, starting at the edge of the card carefully cut the cake so that it gently slopes from the top down to the base, which should be end up 2" wider than the top. Next turn the cake upside down so now the wide surface is now at the top. Then cut the top edge of the cake into a small curve. Your cake should now resemble a traditional plant pot.

The method given above, is a relatively easy way of cutting cakes into a type of Wonky cake. A different style is to use the same design as above but with the cake cut at an angle - giving the it a topsy-turvy look. When cutting a cake to make it 'wonky' the angle of the cut must be quite acute, otherwise it will look as if the cake should to be level, but something has gone wrong! It is a good idea to make a paper pattern of the height and width of the cake and try out the angle on paper before you begin cutting. Using this method will leave a spare piece of cake - this can always be frozen and used for trifle or truffles in the future.

Another method entails cutting the cake at an angle, then removing and reverting the top section. For instance, on a four inch deep cake, make a small mark one inch from the base of the cake. On the opposite side of the cake - one inch from the top - make another mark. If necessary, make several more marks to use as a cutting guide. Next carefully cut from the base mark to the top mark. Remove the top layer and coat the surface of the bottom layer with either apricot jam or butter cream, depending on the type of cake. Now, instead of replacing the top section back in its original position, revert it, so that the narrowest edge of the top section now rests on the narrowest of the bottom layer of cake. The cake should now slope from two inches at one side to six inches at the other.

If Wonky cakes are being stacked on top of each other, place each cake, apart from the bottom cake, on a thin cake board he same size as the base of the cake. The cakes - apart from the top cake - will need plastic dowels in to support the weight of the cake, or cakes, above. Dowels are always cut level with the top surface of a cake - after it has been iced. And remember, the dowels on a Wonky cake should be cut at the same angle as the cake.

A Wonky wedding cake will be a talking point at any wedding - and in years to come, although other memories may fade, the Wonky Wedding Cake will always be remembered!

Pat Lock is a cake decorating expert with over 25 years experience who runs the excellent Cake Decorating Ideas website. She has won awards at the prestigious international competition at Hotel Olympia, London and is also an accomplished author.

The Fascinating History of Malaysian Food

2009-09-06T12:09:00.001-07:00

Malaysia is the home of multiple ethnicities which found its roots during the colonial times where hundreds and thousands of immigrants arrived here to find an honest living in this prosperous land. The migrants mostly Chinese working in the tin mines and the Indians placed along the rubber estates brought along with them their cultures not forgetting rich culinary heritages. The cultures go along fine with their cooking where unusual traditional gathering usual accompanied by exotic mouth watering cuisine, that make up the Malaysian food recipes.

As time goes by these cooking somehow assimilated with the Malaysian local customs thus giving birth to a much more diverse and uniquely types of cooking not found anywhere else in the world, such as the famous roti canai, a kind of bread unlike any other bread is not made of yeast and has a uniquely oily textures, thanks to the acrobatic ways the dough is being flung around while in the process of making it. Other types of Malaysian foods which have its origin in India are the tasty mee Mamak and rojak Mamak. The word mamak means uncle in Tamil, so the Indian muslim community locally are referred to as mamak. The mee Mamak is different from other noodles it has thick spicy flavour thatll leave you feeling hot in a slurp, while the rojak Mamak a form of salad with the gravy made of finely pounded chilies surely will satisfied most vegetarian. The curries served in mamak restaurants are definitely Indian but yet different then those found in India. To top it all these delectable dishes are eaten with the tarik tea with milk thats hard to make, literally we need to pour the tea between two big glasses or mugs and increasing the heights by pulling the pouring glass or mug higher and higher to achieve that distinctive foamy rich flavour and also to cool it. All these Malaysian Indian cooking are not found in India itself simply because the original recipes have been Malaysianize, improvised using locally available ingredients which is much cheaper and tastier.

The same thing can be said with the Malaysian Chinese cuisine like the Yong taufu and Suun, the Chinese immigrants cant find the ingredients for their original recipes from China so they decided to replace it with cheaper alternative sources commonly found in Malaysia like the buah keluak and kayu manis. Other Malaysian local pride cooking which originated from abroad is the like of the popular laksa which can be found almost everywhere in Malaysia and even has its own sub version in laksa Johor, laksa Kedah and laksa Penang. Laksa is thick rice noodles. Laksa is served with tangy fish soup/gravy which is made from mackerel or sardine and lots of herbs and not fish at all because of the aroma of the herbs. Its a favourite with the tourists for it is not too hot and spicy flavour.

Other Malaysian gourmets particularly the rice based which is the Malaysian staple diet can be traced to our neighbouring countries such in Indonesia and Thailand like the soto
and nasi kerabu of Johor and Kelantan respectively. These cooking are being cook up with the influence of border communities centuries ago like in Golok when the people started to interact and barter together especially goods at the border town marketplaces.

The arrival of these Chinese and Indian migrants certainly spice up the Malaysian culinary scenes without them Malaysian cooking and Malaysian food recipes will not be as colourful and wonderful as theyre today. Nowadays Malaysian foods are a bigger attraction to the tourists just like the KLCC and the KL Tower. When they say Malaysia boasts of its rich cultural melting pot, the tourists must have meant plenty of Malaysian foods in the pots for the picking. Once the foreigners colonized our country now we managed to get back at them and colonize them at least their taste buds with our hot and spicy Malaysianize cooking which they fall deadly in love.

Rohana Ismail is a cooking enthusiast who has been preparing Secret Malaysian Recipes since her early childhood. Secret recipes that were been passed down to her through generations of ancestors. To discover the secret ingredients that goes into a traditional Malaysian dish, please visit Malaysian Food Recipe web site today!

A Feng Shui Living Room is Peaceful

2009-09-06T08:16:00.001-07:00

One of the most important places in a home can benefit from feng shui. Living room decor usually takes a lot of thought. Most of us are quite happy to spend some extra cash on this room. It is the place in the home that is shared by the whole family. This also makes it quite hard to decorate. We have to take into account every member of the family' likes and dislikes. Because this is where the family meets up and will spend many hours together it should be a haven. Each member of the family is caught up in the modern world. This means plenty of stress throughout the day. But there is an ancient practice that will turn your living room into a place of tranquility and peace.

Every family needs a feng shui living room. It will make you feel a whole lot better to spend time in a room that is well organized and devoid of clutter. One of the first benefits you will notice is that everyone will start feeling calmer. This affects how we think and ultimately how we behave. The whole point of using feng shui is to open up a room the flow of positive energies. If your environment is jumbled and chaotic it will have a negative effect on your life. How you feel is very important to your sense of wellbeing. This is where feng shui comes in very handy. You will learn about how to use specific colors in the room. Each and every color you use has a specific impact on your mood. Make sure you choose the right colors for your surroundings.

To get your feng shui living room you must get all the tips you can. It's not necessary to fork out huge sums of money. You can start with free information such as 'Secrets of Feng Shui Revealed'. With the right information you can reorganize your living room into a feng shui haven.

Levi Parker is the director of popular blog FengShuiGuideOnline.Com. He is an expert on Feng Shui and his blog provides stacks of information on things like Feng Shui color and much more. Get free tips when you visit his site today!

10 Feng Shui Tips For Having the Best Year Yet - Chinese New Year is Here January 26

2009-09-06T04:24:00.001-07:00

January 26th marks the Chinese New Year -- which will be the year of the Ox. Those who follow Feng Shui are already probably preparing their homes and businesses for the upcoming New Year. So what do the rest of us do? Don't we want a really good new year? Of course we do!

Let me show you some tricks and tips that have been used for centuries and really help ensure a good year filled with health, luck, happiness and prosperity. They are easy to do and handle and take less time that you would initially think.

For starters, if you are interested in Feng Shui, I have written countless articles and even have a Feng Shui Shop where you can purchase love cures and all sorts of items to help balance your home. But one of the biggest tricks in encouraging only good to come into your life and to have your life go as it should, would be in how you handle clutter into your home. Is it really that simple? Yes, a resounding big YES!

For girls or guys, clutter seems to be the root of all evil. I myself must constantly be on board in watching how clutter simply accumulates into my household. I don't even know how it gets there at times. But how does one even approach clutter and frankly what is clutter anyway? And why does it effect and how can it effect the good (or lack of goodness) that comes into your life. These questions I will answer now for you.

Clutter can be compared to weeds in the garden, and as my Mother would often say, 'weeds are plants in the wrong place'. Clutter can be items that no longer serve you any good, such as 'old magazines, broken items, art work you don't like since it was given to you by your least favorite Aunt, clothes that do not fit you anymore and yet have been hanging in your closet for over 5 years, books you haven't touched or read in two or more years, etc.

You get the idea. Clutter is not just unwanted junk mail and misplaced items, but is all those items that no longer serve you. In turn, keeping these items in your home suppresses all areas of your life; it can be scary to even think about.

Clutter truly suppresses your energy that most people start to not even think about the clutter in their homes, and often wonder why they can't find a job or a new wonderful love in their life - or even questioning why they fight with their family so much.

Clutter should be handled quickly - and frankly the more you pay attention to de-cluttering, the easier it gets, really! Keeping these un-loved items in your home actually keeps you 'down' in not providing you the opportunities you may wish in your life to be in abundance. There is a huge connection here that most people miss.

When your home is only filled with items that are truly loved, you find beautiful and are extremely of good use to you, you are creating a home that supports the good in you and the good in others to share with you.

I am not at all talking or even suggesting you have your household so organized that it becomes sterile, in fact, just the opposite. A home should feel loved and lived in, should have a few live plants here and there and should be a place of comforted serenity for you.

I know firsthand how great the energy feels in my home since I did a major re-organizing of my art studio room recently. I have enjoyed being able to walk around in this room and even see the supplies I have and can now have easy access to.

People when they enter my home, always mention the energy in my home. They feel comfortable, warm and loved. I may take a little pride in this, but it is such a lovely thing to hear other people say about my home. And in turn, I am calm, at peace with myself and the choices I make in my life on a daily basis. And I tell you, I do not have a fancy decorated home filled with expensive furniture, in fact just the opposite. My place has a few battered antiques, some pieces from Ikea and several rooms have to serve more than one purpose. (Living in NY, you know that space is at a minimum.)

And speaking up of space, have you ever actually factored how much space is being taken up by your clutter and that you are paying a good portion of your mortgage or rent on this cluttered space which could be of actual use to you and your family?

Today I will be tackling moving around the furniture my living room that also serves as a music room so I can refresh the chi and energy in this main room of my home, but here are some tips to help ensure you have a great New Year utilizing Feng Shui approach. If you are smart, do what I did, and do a little each day. By the time the Chinese New Year rolls around, you will have prepared your home for the New Year.

The following tips and tasks should all be done before the Chinese New Year which falls on January 26th this year 2009 and are usually followed by people who believe and practice Feng Shui and prepare for the New Year.

Most who seriously follow Feng Shui and wish for a good Chinese New Year will clean their home from top to bottom. Seriously clean from top to bottom. This includes washing down their walls, baseboards, moving out their furniture from the walls to completely clean behind.
Clean all crystals with sea salt and have them soak in the sun in a window to clean their energies.
Replace any sea salt cures they may have placed around their house with new small bags filled with fresh sea salt. (The sea salt helps protect against negative energies and helps soak up negative vibrations)
Move around the furniture in their home. If a complete change around is impossible, even moving the hutch for example just a few inches to clean behind it, is enough to help move any stagnant Qi (chi = energy) out of its way and to refresh the overall energy.
As garbage collects while de-cluttering your home, remove it from your household immediately - don't let it sit in the hallway, "saying to yourself - oh, I will get to it tomorrow" - This is negative energy you are keeping in your home - out it goes!
Open windows - and even turn on a fan, should you have windows only on one side of your apartment for example, to literally move the air around.
Turn on all your lights, even if for 5 minutes when the windows are opened while you are cleaning to help bring in good happiness and high energy Qi (chi).
Give any plants in your home, a fresh 'shower' of water - throw them in your shower, or spritz them with fresh water to remove any dust that may have collected on their leaves.
Take a look at my other articles in following Feng Shui tips such as keeping a bowl of fresh fruit on your dining room table to encourage fresh food being constant in your home.
Clean out your refrigerator of any and all bad food. This should be done weekly in fact, but it is very auspicious to have it completely cleaned before the New Year.

Tricks to getting this done:

Start out small, and don't be discouraged. Put on your favorite music as you go around your home to clean and de-clutter.
Start in 10 minute increments - use a timer if you have to. Gather any old newspapers, old junk mail, etc. old magazines and remove from your premises. - Keeping 'old' information in your home inhibits new information and new energized Qi to enter your home.
Try with just clearing your desk. When was the last time you saw any desk surface? Don't answer that! - Instead, just get going with garbage back in hand and start removing any junk.
Touch any item just once, pick it up and make a decision. If you are to keep it, then go and put it where it should go - if it is to be tossed or donated, then off it goes into those appropriate boxes or bags.
Encourage family members to de-clutter by being the example of organizing your areas and space in the home. I would highly suggest not removing other people's clutter without their permission or assistance.
Create a system and stick with it in regards to how you handle your paper that comes into your home. Mail should be in one place only - not spread over several areas. Junk mail in my place never is allowed past my front door. I have a small trash bag that is emptied four times a week. I tend to open my mail by the front door, then place all extra envelopes, junk mail, flyers, etc. right into the trash bag I have set up. Then only the necessary mail is welcomed to come into my home and to a small basket in my office.
Stay focused - it can be very easy to bebop from one place to another and seemingly get nothing accomplished when you start to de-clutter. Instead, just concentrate on your desk top. Continue until it is clean and clutter free. You might just realize that you now are encouraged to tackle your kitchen counter tops.

Immediate Results You Will See and Feel:

1. If you simply just de-cluttered your desk top, you will have an immediate sense of accomplishment. This is why I suggest you start small.

2. Your energy will be heightened - even after working only 10 minutes, since seeing your accomplishments; you may just hit that timer for another 10 minutes to attack other table surfaces.

3. Reclaimed space is a blessing and can make everyone happy that lives in the home.

4. Removing said un-loved, broken, not used, and garbage from your home quite literally removes those issues within your life that are un-loved, broken, not used and 'garbaged'. Imagine that!

5. Be warned, that certain emotional issues you may not been facing may come to the surface - which is what un-expectantly happened to me once I started attacking my art room where I do my creative work. I was shocked for 15 minutes until I realized what was actually happening to me.

This art room falls in the relationship/love/marriage bagua section in my home (more on baguas in another article - or do a Google search, you will come up with plenty of information). And since this room was a mess, so was my love relationship - once I started to de-clutter it, all my emotions regarding a current relationship came to the surface out of seemingly nowhere! After 15 minutes, I realized my own negative, angry thoughts were reflecting those I had suppressed as a result and with the mess in my art room, I was able to re-center myself, become balanced once again, and have loving thoughts.

6. Rome was not built in a day, so accomplishing a full de-clutter may take a few weeks, but with a little being done over the course of a few days and even just a few hours, you will noticed a 'lighter' feel to your home and space.

7. You will gain a sense of accomplishment, gain valuable space you have been paying for but not using, gain self-esteem back that may have been lacking, be able to love and give more.

The real objective here is to have a wonderful home which in turns supports the way of life you wish to live. You will want any objects in your home to be loved, to be in perfect working order, not chipped in any way, and to give you 'good' energy when looking and/or using it. It is that simple. There are many other little tricks you can employ in your home to help enhance your good luck in all areas of your life.

When you have a home that supports the way you wish to live, wonderful things start happening in your life. I can attest to that. I had an art/office room just two weeks ago, that I really 'let go' - that one could barely walk into the room. How the heck was I able to even do any art or get organized with my business if I couldn't even walk into that room? Even looking into the room got me so down - so much so, I let it slide week after week.

I am sure to tell you, that even looking at the room became depressing and is one of the actual reasons for why it took me so long to actually start the project. But within a short period of three hours, I was able to transform the room. I must have gotten rid of at least 5 bags of stuff - and donated another 6 boxes worth of items that now can be loved and used by someone else.

And at that point, I got addicted to removing any items in my entire household that no longer served me. I was able to 'give away' using freecycle.org: cookbooks, art supplies, real estate books, clothes, CDs, and so much more. In turn, I now have space on my book shelves for new things to come into my life, new things like ideas, new books that can be utilized by me and new good people have room to come into my home and into my life.

One last trick I recently read that really aided me in my goals in de-cluttering my household was to ask myself, "If I had to move tomorrow, how many bags of garbage would I have to throw out?" By answering that question with an answer that reads more than one bag of garbage, it helps me go right to those areas in my home that might need to be cleaned out.

Well what else can I say? But, Good Luck! And let me know if you tried any of these rituals and their workings on your life and career. And certainly share with me your success stories!

Leah Quinn, a multi-media artist and writer whose work specializes on food, health, feng shui, and self-improvement. http://leahquinn.com

The History Of Italian Food

2009-09-06T00:29:00.001-07:00

While some of the most popular dishes associated with the Italian culture include a tempting slice of pizza and a heaping plate of pasta, there is much more to the world of Italian cooking. Throughout the many regions in Italy, the distinctive cuisine of the Italians shines through in a wide-range of eating habits, styles of cooking, and selection of local ingredients. The changing of the times has also influenced Italian food, as the meals served in the pre-Roman era possess both similarities and differences in the cuisine of today.

The culinary history of Italy established a reputation more than 2,000 years ago, which includes an illustrious movement during the Roman Empire. Culturally, food preparation was quite important in the past where flashes of significance have been captured in the only surviving cookbook (Apicius), which dates back to the first century BC.

The spread of Italian food diversity began after the fall of the Roman Empire when individual city states began to uphold separate identities and traditions. Each region began to display its own unique way of cooking, right down to the formation of a meatball to the characteristic cheeses and wine produced in a locale. The north developed Tuscan beef, while black truffles were very popular in Marches. Provolone and mozzarella cheeses developed in the south, as well as a host of interesting citrus fruits.

Diverse types of bread, variations in pasta, and varying food preparation techniques also differed according to region. The southern regions of Italy embrace hard-boiled spaghetti, while the north often prefers a soft egg noodle. Milan is known for their risotto, while Bologna has a deep history regarding tortellini, and Naples is famous for their pizzas.

Over the years, Italian cuisine has greatly evolved in part because of a wealth of outside influences that have added to its characteristic flavor and appeal. In the beginning, ancient Greek cookery became an integrated part of Italian cuisine. Eventually, a wealth of imports found their way into the kitchens of early Italians, who sent Roman ships to collect a variety of important foods, including wheat, wine, exotic ingredients, and fine spices from around the world. Some ships even traveled to faraway locations, such as China, to bring back edible resources that catapulted the depth and variety of Italian cooking styles.

Coastal regions are known for their developments in delicious fish and seafood dishes. For example, the island of Sardinia supplies a more traditional and simple style of cuisine, which often incorporated delicacies, associated with the sea. Swordfish, lobster, anchovies, sardines, and other Mediterranean treats represent Italian cooking of the area. In Sicily (another island region), a great deal of the cooking drew heavily from North African influences. An Arab influence also affected cuisine on the island and within the rest of the south, especially with the introduction of various spices and sweets, such as the Sicilian ice cream cake called cassata.

As for one of the most popular Italian dishes, while the history books often state that pasta was a product of the Chinese brought back by Venetian merchant, Marco Polo, it was actually a rediscovery of a food item eaten during Etruscan and Roman times. It is believed that the first pasta in Italy was made similar to the noodles of today from the same durum wheat which was cooked in ovens instead of boiled in water.

Today, the differences in Italian cooking still show through in the distinctions between the north and the south. Each region still carries their own traditions in cooking that reflects deep history and culture with a never ending supply of main courses, appetizers, and desserts that continuously tempts the taste buds.

For more interesting food facts and great meal ideas and a free menu planning report visit http://www.MenuPlanningCentral.com- Watch for a great meal planning offer and let me The Menu Mom help you take care of dinner tonight!

Grandparents Joy!

2009-09-05T20:35:00.001-07:00

Grandchildren are one of the biggest joys in the lives of grandparents, as anyone who has them will tell you! While grandparents love to shower their grandchildren with gifts, toys and sometimes even money, it's also important to remember that quality time spent with grandchildren is often the best and most long-lasting gift they can give.

I remember at my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary, the family compiled a scrapbook full of letters and photos to and about my grandparents as a gift. While reading through the letters, I realized something-all the letters from their children and grandchildren (myself included) focused on the intangible things they have shared with us. My grandparents were generous with their family both financially and with material gifts. And not just to family, but to friends as well.

But what we remembered most was the time they had spent with us over the years. Whether it was reading a story together, cooking with grandma, fishing or mowing the lawn with grandpa, or just hanging out together and talking or playing a game-it was all quality time. It's not that we don't appreciate the material gifts they've given us over the years, but time spent with loved ones always seems to be more "straight from the heart" than tangible gifts.

Quality time spent with a grandparent can seem so special for many reasons. When we are younger it sometimes seems our parents are there only to discipline us and to make sure we don't have any fun! But grandparents (even grandparents who live in the same house as their children and grandchildren) offer a different perspective from someone other than our parents.

Grandparents have a point of view that is unique, and it's important to share this point of view with grandchildren. Spending time with grandparents can help kids learn to relate to and appreciate older people, to listen and be patient and to respect the experiences of another generation. In a society that is increasingly "me-focused," especially in the younger generations, this is an important trait to have. Whether my siblings and I spent a week or an afternoon with my grandparents, or simply received a letter from them, we knew we were expected to write a thank-you note, or at the very least, call them on the phone to thank them.

So the next time you're with your granddaughter or grandson, think about the quality time you spend with them and the impact it will have. While they may not seem especially thankful now, when they get older they will appreciate the time and energy you spent with them, and you can celebrate the fact that they'll more than likely carry this time and effort forward to future generations.

Mark Arens, owner of ThumbPeople, Inc. & author of Thumbuddy Books & products, shares his heart on the importance of spending time together as a family. ThumbPeople, Inc. provides traditional children's products and books that help build and fortify strong relationships within the family. Building self worth and self respect within our children is vital. Visit ThumbPeople, Inc. for more -->>

http://www.thumbpeople.com/online-store.html

Acai Berry and It's Many Benefits

2009-09-05T16:42:00.001-07:00

First off what is the Acai Berry, for you not to have heard of this super food you almost have to have been living in complete isolation, as it is one of the most talked about and written about foods out there today.

Some facts you may not know about Acai Berries: The acai berry is very rich in protein and is known to have as much as an egg. They are high in vitamin B3 which is niacin, and that can play an important part in cellular energy production by assisting in the transfer of electrons in oxidation-reduction. In addition to these here is a partial list of amazing things this little berry can do for you:

Promotes sound sleep
Cleanses and detoxifies the body of infectious toxins
Enhances sexual desire and performance
Helps to clear skin of warts
Minimizes inflammation
Fights general depression

Where does the Acai Berry come from? It comes from the Brazilian Rain Forest in Northern Brazil and the people living there have been eating these berries for hundreds of years. It is a highly valued medicinal food and the actual healthy properties of the berry is active for 24-48 hours after being picked, so that means they need to be freeze dried or made into juice or powder within that time of harvesting/picking.

The acai berry is smaller in size than a grape and is produced in clusters by the palm trees called Euterpe Oleracea. This berry is definitely the jewel of the Brazilian Rain forest and it is one of the most powerful yet delicate fruits in the world.

Some of the better know benefits of this powerhouse food are; it is loaded with antioxidants, amino acids, essential omegas, fibers and vital vitamins.

Studies have shown that the acai berry is one of the most nutritious and powerful foods in the world. It is thought to have a great impact on heart and on the entire cardiovascular system and is considered to be helpful in reducing the risk of heart disease. Helps relieve arthritis, can help reduce and speed up the recovery from injuries, helps stabilize normal blood sugar and assists in diabetes; strengthens your immune system; assists in eyesight and helps with vision sharpness; promotes younger looking skin; slows down the aging process; boosts your energy; improved the digestion; relieves arthritis pain.

Even though this seems like it could be considered a miracle food the acai berry is not a license to eating anything and everything you want and the consume some acai berry to be healthy. So the rule is if you smoke, drink, eat fast food and not exercise this little berry is not going to keep you in optimal health. But if you do all the right things it will gives you the energy from your youth, with added vitality, and increased stamina.

Darlene has researched, practiced and implemented many spiritual and personal growth paths: Crystal Readings for Vibrant Living; Feng Shui for personal tranquility; Sacred Movements for a disciplined life; Gentle Touch Energy Healer; Whole and organic food advocate-Food as Medicine; Artist of hand woven and beaded amulet basket necklaces. She resides in California in her own personal wellness center and sanctuary. She brings her wisdom, knowledge and spiritual self to you in all that she does. Darlene's mission is to teach and encourage individuals how to find and maintain their balance in mind, body, spirit connection, which brings peace, joy and prosperity into their lives. They learn how to experience the joy of balanced living. She accomplishes this thru her Crystal Readings for Vibrant Living and her Wellness Coach Program, which is offer to individuals and corporations. Receive her f.ree report "Learn 7 Ways to Manifest Abundance With Crystals" at Spirited Boutique Darlene Siddons

Breadfruit and Its Uses

2009-09-05T12:49:00.001-07:00

Breadfruit trees grow to a height of sixty to eighty (60-80) feet with a clear trunk to 16ft, becoming three to six (3-6) feet in width. It has many spreading branches, some thick with lateral bearing branches and others long and slender with foliage clustered at their tips.

The leaves, evergreen or deciduous depending on climatic conditions are bright green and somewhat glossy on the upper surface, a dull green on the underside with conspicuous yellow veins. Its ovate shape spans with a nine to twenty four (9-24) inches long, eight to sixteen (8-16) inches wide base that more or less deeply cuts into seven to eleven (7-11) pointed lobes.

These leaves when withered or going dry fall to the ground. They are raked into heaps and burned, preventing a breeding ground for mosquitoes when it rains.

This high yielding fruit plant produces two to three hundred fruits in a season. However, most breadfruit varieties also produce a small number of fruits throughout the year; so fresh breadfruits are also available, but occasionally rare when not in season. These fruits are bright green in color when young, with tiny hexagons carved all over it. When ripe, they have a dull green color. They are beautiful to see and hold.

Breadfruit is an all purpose fruit. It is a stable food in many tropical regions. They are rich in starch and before being eaten, they are numerous ways you can prepare a variety of dishes from these fruits.

When parboil, they can be stored in zip lock bags and frozen for future use. In addition it can be cooked, crushed and stirred to make breadfruit Coo-coo, a variation of shepherd's pie, breadfruit casserole and more depending on the ingredients you use. On weekends, throughout many countries in the West Indies breadfruit is the first choice dish when cooked and served with pudding and souse.

There is a variety of ways in making soup. However, breadfruit is an excellent choice in adding to the ingredients in making your soup. Oh! it is delicious,try it sometime.

Whole fruits can be roasted over an open fire. When it is almost finish, core it and fill with onion, seasoning, butter (or edible oil) optional, sugar and or coconut milk. Let the fruit finish cooking for ten to fifteen (10-15) minutes, peel and serve.

This web site is design to give our readers a clear understanding in the many ways in which they can use this excellent and satisfying dish. I hope this article at least provides some motivation in helping you in all your endeavors.

http://barbadosfood.weebly.com

How to Face the Hair Loss Battle?

2009-09-05T08:57:00.001-07:00

Majority of men have been unwittingly drafted into the hair loss battle that no one ever wants to be a part of. The true power of the foe has yet to be sensed. When the infantries are slowly falling one by one and the division being blasted into oblivion, and every private seems to be on a retreat - that is when you will feel the menacing power of the enemy tagged as 'hair loss.'
Many men are defeated due to such formidable opponent and it is but proper that you have to know how to face the hair loss battle. Starting from denial to acceptance and everything in between, all of these will be outlined to better prepare you:

Denial Stage

You are in your early thirties lavishing the single life and its perks. You grasp a professional life where your name is synonymous with respect dabbed with a bit of fear. The ladies want you and the men want to be you. Life is sweet! Then all of a sudden your assistant tells you that you have a bald spot. What the heck is she talking about?! With a smile, you try to brush off the issue. The next day you wear a cap on your way to the office. Then you suddenly positioned your chair against the wall telling everyone that you had the urge to remodel and do "feng shui". These solutions are temporary, it will not take long before your friends and associates figure out what you have, or what you don't have under that cap.

Anger Stage

Your sweet life is now officially pungent. Hair loss is no longer a figment of your imagination. The days spent in the shower staring blankly on the clogged drain and the mornings exhausted picking out strands of hair atop of your pillow---this is your reality. Damn parents! Cursed genetics! To hell with your the bloody lineage! Why is this happening? Gramps still has his hair and he is already 76. This stinks and you are angry!

Bargaining Stage

When desperation sinks in, people do crazy things. And you are not an exception. You now prefer to watch home TV shopping rather than the ball game. Fed up with your situation, you consider making a pact with the medical staff, the TV dude, even the owner of the corner store wig. Comb-over is a welcomed option but this is the best time to try out different hair loss medications and hair growth creams.

Depression Stage

You hear snickering and mocking as you passed by the babbling teenagers with your balding head. But you do not feel a thing. No reaction came out, just nothing.

Acceptance Stage

All efforts proved fruitless. You are ready to wave your white flag. As you stare at your mirror, reality gingerly pats you at the back. And with that reality check, you instructed your trusty barber to shave it off. As the razor touches your head, you kept thinking, this is the proverbial end. Like the adage goes, if you can't beat them, join them. You have valiantly fought against hair loss, the mighty opponent.

The author is an online medical researcher and webmaster of Hair Loss Treatments. You may be interested in: DHT and Hair Loss and "Treatment for Thinning Hair and Massive Hair Loss".

10 Feng Shui Tips For Having the Best Year Yet - Chinese New Year is Here January 26

2009-09-05T05:04:00.001-07:00

Most who seriously follow Feng Shui and wish for a good Chinese New Year will clean their home from top to bottom. Seriously clean from top to bottom. This includes washing down their walls, baseboards, moving out their furniture from the walls to completely clean behind.
Clean all crystals with sea salt and have them soak in the sun in a window to clean their energies.
Replace any sea salt cures they may have placed around their house with new small bags filled with fresh sea salt. (The sea salt helps protect against negative energies and helps soak up negative vibrations)
Move around the furniture in their home. If a complete change around is impossible, even moving the hutch for example just a few inches to clean behind it, is enough to help move any stagnant Qi (chi = energy) out of its way and to refresh the overall energy.
As garbage collects while de-cluttering your home, remove it from your household immediately - don't let it sit in the hallway, "saying to yourself - oh, I will get to it tomorrow" - This is negative energy you are keeping in your home - out it goes!
Open windows - and even turn on a fan, should you have windows only on one side of your apartment for example, to literally move the air around.
Turn on all your lights, even if for 5 minutes when the windows are opened while you are cleaning to help bring in good happiness and high energy Qi (chi).
Give any plants in your home, a fresh 'shower' of water - throw them in your shower, or spritz them with fresh water to remove any dust that may have collected on their leaves.
Take a look at my other articles in following Feng Shui tips such as keeping a bowl of fresh fruit on your dining room table to encourage fresh food being constant in your home.
Clean out your refrigerator of any and all bad food. This should be done weekly in fact, but it is very auspicious to have it completely cleaned before the New Year.

Tricks to getting this done:

Start out small, and don't be discouraged. Put on your favorite music as you go around your home to clean and de-clutter.
Start in 10 minute increments - use a timer if you have to. Gather any old newspapers, old junk mail, etc. old magazines and remove from your premises. - Keeping 'old' information in your home inhibits new information and new energized Qi to enter your home.
Try with just clearing your desk. When was the last time you saw any desk surface? Don't answer that! - Instead, just get going with garbage back in hand and start removing any junk.
Touch any item just once, pick it up and make a decision. If you are to keep it, then go and put it where it should go - if it is to be tossed or donated, then off it goes into those appropriate boxes or bags.
Encourage family members to de-clutter by being the example of organizing your areas and space in the home. I would highly suggest not removing other people's clutter without their permission or assistance.
Create a system and stick with it in regards to how you handle your paper that comes into your home. Mail should be in one place only - not spread over several areas. Junk mail in my place never is allowed past my front door. I have a small trash bag that is emptied four times a week. I tend to open my mail by the front door, then place all extra envelopes, junk mail, flyers, etc. right into the trash bag I have set up. Then only the necessary mail is welcomed to come into my home and to a small basket in my office.
Stay focused - it can be very easy to bebop from one place to another and seemingly get nothing accomplished when you start to de-clutter. Instead, just concentrate on your desk top. Continue until it is clean and clutter free. You might just realize that you now are encouraged to tackle your kitchen counter tops.

Immediate Results You Will See and Feel:

1. If you simply just de-cluttered your desk top, you will have an immediate sense of accomplishment. This is why I suggest you start small.

2. Your energy will be heightened - even after working only 10 minutes, since seeing your accomplishments; you may just hit that timer for another 10 minutes to attack other table surfaces.

3. Reclaimed space is a blessing and can make everyone happy that lives in the home.

4. Removing said un-loved, broken, not used, and garbage from your home quite literally removes those issues within your life that are un-loved, broken, not used and 'garbaged'. Imagine that!

7. You will gain a sense of accomplishment, gain valuable space you have been paying for but not using, gain self-esteem back that may have been lacking, be able to love and give more.

Well what else can I say? But, Good Luck! And let me know if you tried any of these rituals and their workings on your life and career. And certainly share with me your success stories!

Leah Quinn, a multi-media artist and writer whose work specializes on food, health, feng shui, and self-improvement. http://leahquinn.com

Is There Any Remedy For Anxiety? Part VIII

2009-09-05T01:08:00.001-07:00

* Chocolate

Have you ever felt like you are in love after eating chocolate ? It is proven that chocolate relieves anxiety, so go ahead and try it !

Conclusion : Chocolate is a great remedy for anxiety, it will help reduce anxiety and prevent future panic attacks. Large quantities are not recommended.

* Sex

Conclusion : Sex is not only a stress-reliever but it helps your blood circulation, heart functioning and breathing, in other words it is such a great remedy for anxiety, it will make you healthier.

* Eat Your Favorite Food

If you suffer from anxiety it is recommended that you eat healthy. Eat what you like as long as it is healthy. I love sea food, which is proven to help the brain cells functioning.

Try to avoid coffee and tobacco.

Check out the complete list of anxiety programs :

Anxiety Cures - Top Rated

What Exactly is Cold Smoking?

2009-09-04T21:14:00.001-07:00

Cold smoking is very similar to hot smoking, except the cooking temperature is
much lower. The targeted cold smoking temperature range is between 80 degrees F
and 100 degrees F, and the smoking time can range anywhere from 4 hours to 4
days. This process relies on smoke to cure the meat or food being smoked instead
of using heat. Some people believe that cold smoking occurs at temperatures
between 160-190 degrees F, but smoking at this temperature is really a form of hot
smoking.

Types of Smoked Foods

A few examples of foods that are usually cold-smoked include bacon, sausage,
ham, cheese, and fish. When smoking fish, a preservation salt is needed to pickle
the fish before it is smoked. This will help prevent bacteria from groing while the
fish is curing in the smoke.

When to Use Cold Smoking

Cold smoking is very difficult, and even impossible in the summer months, because
the outside air temperature is normally as hot as or hotter than the temperature
needed for true cold smoking. The best time to use cold smoking is during the
winter months when the days are typically cooler.

How it Works

The key to cold-smoking is using smoke to cure the food. To achieve such a low
cooking temperature while cooking with smoke, the fire needs to be in a seperate
container than the food being smoked. The smoke is transferred to the cooking
container by piping, and the heat can be easily regulated.

If you are using a wood smoker with a offset fire box, it can be very hard to
consistently maintain the low temperature needed for cold smoking. The easiest
way I have found to achieve the low cooking temperature is to use a charcoal starter
to light only a few coals at a time. When the coals in the smoker burn down, simply
use the starter to light more charcoal, to add a small amount of charcoal that is
already lit to the fire box. Then wood chips can be added to produce smoke.

Cold Smoked Salmon Recipe

Use frozen salmon because it has lost some of it's moisture during the freezing
process, and it will accept the brine solution quicker.

Preparation:

1. Cut the Salmon filets into 3x6 inch pieces.2. Prepare a brine solution of salt, brown sugar, and water. The salt to brown sugar
ratio is 2:1. With 2.5 gallons of water, you will need 7 cups of salt, and 3.5 cups of
brown sugar. The water will be about 80% salt, and to test if the water is salty
enough, and egg should float.3. Place the fish in the brine solution. Make sure the fish filets are completely
submerged.4. Refridgerate for 12-24 hours. If the filets are thin, the time will be shorter.5. Before removing the fish from the brine solution, slice one filet open down the
middle to see if the brine has fully penetrated it. If the brine has not fully penetrated
the filet, place leave the rest in the solution for a little longer, and then test again.6. When the filets are done, remove them from the solution and place under cold
running water for 1 hour.7. Place the filets on a cookie sheet, and refidgerate for 12 more hours. This will
allow the salt to even out.

Smoking:

1. Place in a smoker at 70-85 degrees F for 12-16 hours. I use charcoal and add
mesquite or hickory chips to produce the smoke.2. When the fish are done, vacuum seal the filets and freeze for 3 days for parasite
control.

The Smoker King

Aaron Ralston, also known as The Smoker King, is the owner of Outdoor Cooking: Barbeque, Sauces, Mops, Rubs http://www.thesmokerking.com. Check out thesmokerking.com to find great information about outdoor cooking.

Feng Shui and Relationships

2009-09-04T17:23:00.001-07:00

There are any of a number of things when it comes to Feng Shui that can be done to better and enhance your life, your loves and the relationships of those around you and those that you love.

Feng Shui.

Morris E. Brown Quality Inn Suites Winnipeg

Winnipeg Hotel Reservations King Cole Catering Domain Manitoba Winnipeg Catering Canada

Are You Feng Shui Ready For The New Year 2009?

2009-09-04T13:30:00.001-07:00

We begin a new year according to the Chinese Calendar on February 4th 2009! At Blue Avalon we love the start of the new year - a great opportunity to start fresh and make this year the best year of your life!

At the beginning of each new year we recommend that you ensure you take the following actions in order to ensure that you are ready to embrace the new energies that will surround you throughout the next 12 months! If you follow Feng Shui - please ensure you do the following:

Salt Water Cures - for those of you who use these - you must dispose of any salt water cures that are over 2 months old as they are now full of negative energy and in order to continue to benefit from these cures - they must be replaced each new year (don't worry if you can't do it the exact day - just ensure it is within a few days of the new year.

Take your old cure (water, salt, glass and all) and wrap and seal it in a plastic bag or plastic container and throw the whole thing out! Yes including the glass and coins! Then replace these with brand new salt water cures for the afflicted areas.

Crystals, wu lous, Buddhas,or any other symbolic items - as many of you already know by reading our full moon information - one of the easiest ways to re-energize these items are to leave them out under a full moon overnight (the next full moon is January 10th, 2009). In the morning you can put them back to where you originally had them. If you miss the full moon then sprinkle your items with some salt (rock salt is best) - place them in direct sunlight for 4-6 hours - then rinse them, dry them - and place them back where they belong.

Know where the Annual Afflictions are located - Each year the direction of the three afflictions change. It is important you know this, as the areas of the afflictions in general should not be disturbed. Therefore, no noisy renovations or yard work should be carried out in these areas. There are certain enhancements that can be carried out it these areas are important.

@2009 Fay Chapple

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Fay Chapple is an International Feng Shui Expert, award winning Interior Decorator and Life Coach, and is Principal of the award winning Home & Life Design Firm Blue Avalon.

Blue Avalon specializes in Interior Decorating, Feng Shui and Abundant Living. Blue Avalon is the publisher of The Blue Avalon Journal, a monthly e-zine packed with ideas, tips and insider secrets! To subscribe log on to our site at http://www.blueavalon.com and you'll receive a bonus book, The Number One Feng Shui Secret That Will Transform Your Life!

Blue Avalon - "Harmony for your home... Balance for your life!" http://www.blueavalon.com

Bottled Water Vs Tap Water

2009-09-04T09:40:00.001-07:00

Most people can detect the taste and odor of chlorine in tap water and are also concern about the quality of municipal water. Many people are turning to bottled water either for its taste and the piece of mind that it is cleaner and safer for drinking. Is it cleaner as you think it is?

Not necessarily. Natural Resource Defense Council conducted a four-year review of the bottled water industry and safety standards that govern it, including a comparison of national bottled water rules with national tap water rules, and independent testing of over 1,000 bottles of water. Their conclusion is that there is no assurance that just because water comes out of a bottle is any cleaner or safer than water from the tap. And in fact, an estimated 25% or more of bottled water is really just tap water in a bottle - sometimes further treated, sometimes not.

Further more, bottled water usually sits in the bottle for a while before consumption, water is stale and turns acidic, which is not healthy for the body. Plastic bottle when left under direct sun light or in high room temperature can leach bad chemical that harm your health also. People like to carry their water in the bottles, leave it the car, which during the day, is right under the sun and it is hot. No one should drink water that has been left in the car, especially women. The heat causes toxins from the plastic to leak into the water and doctors have found these toxins in breast tissue of breast cancer patients. Studies have also shown that chemicals called phthalates, which are known to disrupt testosterone and other hormones, can leach into bottled water over time. Another study found that water that had been stored for 10 weeks in plastic and in glass bottles contains phthalates, suggesting that the chemicals could be coming from the plastic cap or the plastic bottle. If you are using a bottle dispenser at home or the office, the next time you change the bottle, reach in you hand and feel the bottom of the dispenser and you will find it slimy at the bottom. Are you sure you will still want to drink it?

Un-filtered tap water is not good to drink, and bottled water is some time not any better, what do we do? You may ask. To protect our own health, installing a quality water filter that will remove all the contaminants from the tap water is the safest and most economical solution. Fresh water that is full of oxygen when you need it. Just fill the glass or stainless steel bottle when you need to carry water with you. You will save money, the environment, and most importantly, your health, over time.

About 70% of the bodies' weight is water. It is the very thing the body needs most. Water is accountable for many body functions. Drinking enough clean and fresh water not only improves your overall health and well-being, it may also prevent you from many ailments and sicknesses. Give your body the quality water it deserves and in turn, it will serve you with the optimal health and appearance you have always desired. For the best possible water for your health, right from the faucet, for pennies per gallon, please visit http://drinkingwatersafety.fitnessguide101.com/best-water-for-optimal-health After all, who wants to fill 70% of their bodies' weight with impurities, toxins and chemical treated water?

In Search of London Rental

2009-09-04T05:46:00.001-07:00

You are not the only one looking for a house-to-rent in a decent locality with all the basic amenities available in the neighborhood. You also want good communication system; it would be all the more preferable if the place is near your office. Besides, a number of people are preoccupied with the direction of the house, Feng Shui, etc etc. Getting such a perfect shelter becomes all the more difficult when the place where you are looking for your dream dwelling is a big city, London for instance. Finding a home in London becomes even more complicated when you are bound by a limited budget.

Its no news that rental prices in London are sky high, the reasons for which are numerous- capital city, business centre, good amenities, communication, standard locality, and what not. The increasing demand for London rentals also accounts for the rocketing market of the London rental property. So how do you actually begin your search for a good shelter in London?

Instead of running from one place to another, begin your hunt online. Rental property search engines can help you locate the right renting option. Fill in the right details- the location you would prefer, the number of rooms, budget limitations- to avail the required information. The best part is you can also view some of the images of the homes before actually visiting the place. If you want to establish a contact with the landlord of the selected property, you can initiate communication online by sending a mail using the details provided by the website.

Finding a place in London might not be that easy but you have to be prepared to visit at least 13 to 14 houses before coming across the right one. Often, prospective customers come unprepared when visiting a rental property. If you come across a property that fits your budget and requirements, then don't wait for too long as the next in line will reap the benefit. This does not mean that you thoughtlessly commit to a budget beyond your limit. If you need to re-think your decision, then ask for a day from the landlord but do not keep him waiting for long. Go home, re-evaluate your budget and expectations and convey your decision. Locating London rentals of your choice might be difficult but not impossible. Always remember- there's one for everyone!

Suzanne Macguire is an expert writer and a real estate company executive. Her articles cover interesting observation on London rentals and rental property search engine

Grandparents Joy!

2009-09-04T01:51:00.001-07:00

http://www.thumbpeople.com/online-store.html

Simple Feng Shui Tips For the Holiday Season

2009-09-03T21:59:00.001-07:00

All is Calm...All is Bright...

Does this sound like your household? Certainly, doesn't sound like mine at the moment! With all the extra "things" that we have to do - like shopping, card-writing, wrapping, decorating, cleaning, baking, cooking, attending parties, and, of course, work - it's hard to find the time to fit it all in. It's easy to get stressed out.

So, this Holiday Season, take a few minutes to create a peaceful sanctuary so that you can relax when you return home, as well as welcome your holiday guests. Adding a bit of the five Chinese elements will help maintain a natural balance in your home, ease stress, and appeal to all of your senses!

Fire

If you don't have a fireplace, light some soy candles around your main living space. The Fire element is about love, sincerity, and delight. Sitting around the warm glow of fire stirs a deep desire for community. It's the element that helps you to connect to others on a meaningful level.

Fire is the element that represents the summer season with the thrill of being alive and passionate about experiencing life to the fullest.

Earth

You can incorporate the Earth element through the use of clay pottery, soil, and quartz crystals. If you use crystals, pick ones that seem to call to you. (Having a lot of Fire energy, the citrine quartz is one of my favorites with its warm orange glow). In fact, quartz crystals are a great, affordable gift, too! An interesting exercise would be to pick out crystals for your family members, seeing what (Check out local new age stores or crystals shops and be sure to ask how to "clean" the crystals, as they carry energy).

The Earth element brings out our nurturing qualities. Earth helps us be less self-centered, which tends to happen when we're stressed. It enables us to be grounded, stable, and enjoy the comforts of home and family.

Metal

You can easily incorporate the Metal element through the use of metallic decorations and the colors gold and silver. In addition, round objects can be used.

Metal is the element for late fall/early winter, when the pace of nature starts to slow down and people turn inward. It represents creativity, sensitivity, and gives us the grace to get through all of the hosting activities. Metal is the energy of beauty and discrimination. Metal helps when it comes to beautifying the home, our food and dressing fashionably.

Water

Water can be incorporated through several ways: the use of actual water (fountains or aquariums), images of water, or dark colors, and wavy shapes. Pine roping and garland, a typical holiday decoration, represents the Water element as it's draped around the house in undulating waves.

Water is the element for winter, when much of nature is in a state of hibernation and people are more reflective. Water is the energy of wisdom, intuition, and courage. It provides us with the ability to dream and philosophize.

Wood

Wood can be easily incorporated into your Holiday scheme with a Christmas tree, poinsettias, or other plants. In addition, the colors green and blue, typical in Holiday decorations are readily used.

The Wood element represents spring, and the growth and vitality of an emerging seedling reaching for the sunlight. Let the Wood element remind you that, with the Winter Solstice, the Sun will be tracking a path ever closer to the Northern Hemisphere, as the days get longer throughout the cold, winter months.

Wood is the energy of striving, optimism, and curiosity. Wood provides us the determination to see things through. So, the Wood element is going to help you get your list done!

One Last Suggestion... And, one last suggestion for handling Holiday stress: several times throughout the day, let the Wood element subside. Take a few moments to let the Water element in by taking a few deep breaths and giving gratitude for all that you have in your life. And enjoy this very special time of the year.

http://www.luminous-spaces.com

Maureen K. Calamia is founder of Luminous Spaces, a Feng Shui consulting firm based in Saint James, New York. From simple recommendations, to renovation and building projects, Maureen works with her clients to create spaces that promote physical and psychological health.

Incorporating nature into the built environment, Maureen provides guidance on the use of layout, the five Chinese elements, objects, colors, materials, shapes and textures. Through the ancient principles of Feng Shui, Maureen restores balance and harmony. How an environment feels is just as important as how it looks.

Maureen offers a unique perspective in her work. By balancing her twenty years in a traditional corporate marketing career with her passion for studying Eastern philosophies and esoteric thought, Maureen has integrated her ideology into a thriving business. As a certified Feng Shui consultant, writer and a speaker at workshops and business meetings, Maureen works with corporations, non-profit organizations, small businesses and individuals who want their buildings to emanate positive energy for its clients, employees and inhabitants. Maureen teaches lectures and workshops on Feng Shui all over Long Island, including the New York College of Health Professions. She is a regular guest speaker at SUNY at Old Westbury, Long Island, NY. She authors a monthly Feng Shui column in Canvas LI Magazine (http://www.canvasli.com) and suite101.com. Maureen continues her study of Feng Shui, Space Clearing, eco-friendly products and systems, and related topics.

How To Throw A Wine and Cheese Party

2009-09-03T18:04:00.001-07:00

A wine and cheese party can be a great way to get together with friends or for a special bridal or wedding shower, birthday party or other celebration. It be easy to put together with a minimum of work even if you dont know much about wine or cheese! You can throw together a simple but elegant party without a lot of fuss and have an interesting theme to boot.

You can setup your room in a couple different ways which really depends on how much room you have and the shape of your room or rooms. One way is to use a long buffet table against one wall with different sections. Another is to have several stations around the room by using little tables each with certain wines and their complimentary cheeses. Youll want to add some other foods too as man cannot live on wine and cheese alone!

Decorations

A wine and cheese party should be somewhat elegant but not too gaudy. You could have simple white tablecloths with white candles. Perhaps decorating the table with grapes and grape leaves or something seasonal such as fall leaves if the party is in the fall or holly, pine boughs and ornaments if its at the holidays. A summer party might be cute with light floral bouquets. Fruit especially grapes go great with wine and cheese so you could have a 3 tiered centerpiece or large antique bowl filled with grapes and other fruit on the tables too. If you choose one large table a big centerpiece would be a nice focal point, you could even use and old architectural urn filled with ice and wine bottles or a large tiered platter with various tidbits on it.

Youll want to have labels for each cheese that states the name and general flavor you can expand on that by adding the origin and maybe some history if you feel ambitious. Each section of cheese could have its own cutting board and cutter A cute idea would be to use the cheese boards that are made out of flattened wine bottles to cut the cheese on.

Glasses and Plates

Youll want to make sure to use the right type of wine glass with each wine. Red wine should be poured into a round ball shaped glass and white wine is more fluted but not as narrow as a champagne flute. Keep a bunch of each type of glass out so your guests can be sure to have the right glass at all times. For dishes you could get wine themed plates or go with an eclectic mix of little antique plates. Make sure you have plenty of little plates around to encourage quests to try small samples of cheese with each wine.

What To Serve

A wine and cheese party needs more than just wine and cheese! Youll also want to provide lots of interesting breads and crackers. Maybe some caviar? And dont forget dessert a cheesecake would be in keeping with the theme but any dessert will do! And finally, some coffee might be in order after all that wine and please make sure that no one drives after having too much wine.

Of course, youll want to make sure you serve the right wine with the right cheese and in fact complimentary wine and cheese pairings can produce interesting and unusual tastes. Half the fun of a wine and cheese party is experimenting for yourself to see what new combinations you can come up with, but heres some tips to start you off:

Wine And Cheese Party Pairing Tips

- Wines usually go well with cheese that is from the same country or region

- An acidic cheese usually goes well with acidic wines

- Roquefort goes well with Port

- Camembert, Cheddar and Brie go well with Cabernet and Champagne

- Cream Cheese and White Zinfandel make a nice pair

- Mix muenster with Beaujolais

- Colby and Gouda go good with Reisling

- Pair provolone with Chardonnay

Lee Dobbins is a writer for Online Gourmet Foods where you can find out more about gourmet foods and wine.

Mexican Food Varieties

2009-09-03T14:11:00.001-07:00

Are you interested about Mexican Food and its sumptuous variety? The country of Mexico is renowned throughout the world for its incredible menu of delicious cuisines. The different states of Mexico delineates a mouthwatering a-la-carte which redefines authentic taste to the core. But the origin of food habits and culinary items in the country considerably depends on its ethnic variety and climatic patterns.

So here are some mouthwatering varieties of Mexican Food :

If you venture out to the northern part of Mexico, you will surely come across a delectable variety of meat and beef items. On the contrary, the south -eastern section of the country welcomes you with a range of vegetarian delicacies.

Mexican food is savoured and appreciated by a large number of people on a global basis. The secret of cooking up a storm with Mexican delicacies is to make slight transformation in the blend of ingredients and also meticulously work on methods of preparation from time to time. The legacy of the Mexican food goes back to an ancient time and according to the opinion of culinary experts from round the world, it has a major health benefit. Some of the healthy inputs of Mexican food can be found in the corn, bean, lean meat and also other fresh vegetables.

The Hispanics or the Aztec people were one of the first sources who brought in the entire practice of Mexican food and the culinary art associated with it. The Caribbean and the French people also delved into the various styles of Mexican food from an early age. The spicy feel, wonderful decoration and entire presentation surrounding the Mexican delicacies stands out as an exemplary art in its own way. Some of the important vegetarian items of Mexican dishes can be made by cauliflower, radish and broccoli to name a few. If you do not like the vegetarian cuisines, you can obviously select the beef, chicken and pork items.

One of the most popular and enticing Mexican delicacies, which has impressed with its fascinating taste is the Enchiladas. But if you are quite health conscious, this particular delicacy can be avoided by you, as it consists of a heavy quantity of fat. The spicy and oily element brings along the marvelous flavour of the dish. To mitigate the high constituent of calorie, you can avoid dipping the corn tortillas in the hot oil. You can also make it a little softer by mixing it with tomato.

The Arroz Con Pollo is another scrumptious Mexican delicacy, which has managed to win accolades for its unique authenticity. The main constituents of the dish are rice and chicken which when cooked together provides an unforgettable taste. The sofrito ingredient of the dish makes it all the more exclusive.

If you want to check out another variety of traditional Mexican dish, the Taco can feature as one of your best choices. The perfect combination of maize tortilla and meat feelings provides it with an amazing flavour. You can also make it spicier with an input of chilli salsa and cropped onion.

You can also make your gourmet journey of Mexican food all the more exciting, by sipping the Aquas frescas beverage. It is a delicate mixture of cereals, sugar, fruits and water.

So just enjoy the above-mentioned variety of Mexican Food with a brief insight on them.

Shuvojit Dasgupta is a contributed writer for Batchmates.com the largest Alumni portal in India. With his research work and articles he has added an additional edge to the entertainment e-magazine BM Times. His articles reach to millions of readers every day which are varied in subjects.

Feng Shui - Using the Five Elements

2009-09-03T10:17:00.001-07:00

One of the ways to achieve more balance in your environment is through using the Chinese Five Element Theory. The elements represent the different types of energy present in our world.

Since human beings are made up of a combination of all the five elements, you'll feel better when there is a good balance of all these elements throughout your home and office.

Each element has its own distinctive characteristics. Below you'll find a short description of the elements; wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. To help energize your space you can incorporate furniture and accessories that contain each of these elements in every room of your home or business.

For instance, in your family room you can have a wood coffee table (wood), a red couch (fire), a metal picture frame (metal), a mirror (water), and artwork of an earthy landscape scene (earth). I'm sure you get the idea now.

WOOD - The color green - Wood furniture and accessories - Wood paneling or floors - Art depicting flowers, gardens, trees - The columnar shape; i.e. pedestals, stripes, columns - All plants and flowers including silk and plastic.

FIRE - The color red - All lighting including candles - Pets - Art depicting animals, people, sunrises and sunsets. - Triangular shaped objects

EARTH - The color yellow and earth tones - Ceramic objects - Brick or tile - Square and rectangular shaped objects - Art depicting earthy landscapes such as the desert

METAL - The colors of silver, grey or gold - All metal objects - All rocks and stones such as marble and granite - Natural crystals, rock, gemstones - Metal or stone sculptures

WATER - Colors of dark blues and black - Anything reflective such as mirrors, glass, cut crystal - Free flowing objects and asymmetrical shapes - Water features - fountains, fish tanks, lakes, streams, rivers, canals

Here's an exercise for you to do. Choose one room in your home or office where one element dominates. Then take some of those objects out of this room and add some objects that represent the other four elements into your space. Notice how you feel in the room. By mixing the five elements just right, you'll have an environment that feels great.

If you enjoyed this article, you'll love "Feng Shui Made Simple: Room By Room" ebook. Since your home mirrors your life it's important to create an environment that supports your goals and dreams. You have the power to create your best life yet and this book will give you the tools. Click this link to read more about this book: http://tinyurl.com/98rtkb

Mediterranean Cheeses

2009-09-03T06:24:00.001-07:00

I used to think that Mascarpone was a little horse wearing a blindfold, then a clever person told me it was a cheese, but later an even cleverer person said it wasn't actually a cheese at all, so I asked if it really was a small horse. 'No', they said 'it's a curd', so now I'm not sure if it's a horse, a cheese or a native of a much troubled area of Asia.

Some of the less confusing cheeses of Italy are Ricotta, a firm, white cow's milk cheese, Mozzarella, a soft buffalo milk cheese and Parmesan, the ever popular, hard cheese of Parma. It is believed that Parmesan has been produced in the area for at least seven hundred years and the basic methods of production haven't really changed.

The Mediterranean bowl is a hotspot for cheese making, and each area has its own favourites. The hundreds of different cheeses are derived from goat, cow, sheep and buffalo milk, and each has its own distinctive flavour. My personal favourite is Feta, the soft, crumbly Greek cheese that brings to life any salad dish. This is one of the oldest cheeses in the world, made as long ago as six thousand years. In 2002, the Greeks won an importation battle of denomination, and earned the sole right to name their cheese 'Feta'. It is made from sheep milk or a combination of sheep and goat milk. It's worth visiting Greece solely to enjoy a Greek Salad drizzled with Olive Oil. Why is it that when you try to reproduce these tastes in your own country, it's never quite the same? Of course, Greece produces many other cheeses, but none are as popular as Feta.

Spain too has its fair share of cheeses to choose from, the most famous being Manchego, made from pasteurised sheep milk in the La Mancha region of the country. This may need an acquired taste, but it should smell of roast lamb when cut. It is sold at various stages of maturity. At thirteen weeks it is considered 'curado' (cured), whilst after three months it is 'viejo' (old). Other well known cheeses of Spain are the hard Queso Iberico, Zamorano, made from ewe's milk and Picos de Europa, the blue cheese which is also known as Valdeon and eaten with honey for breakfast.

Portugal, having a small section of Mediterranean coast has Serra de Estrela, its most famous cheese which has been produced by shepherds in the mountainous region of Biera for centuries. This cheese can still lay claim the title of hand made, as the curds are parted by hand as they always were. This is a very soft cheese that has a sweet yet almost burnt flavour.

The French love and produce numerous cheeses, but one of the best in my opinion is Neufchatel, a soft, white table cheese. I'm cheating a little here as the cheese actually originates from Normandy, but this cheese does warrant a mention. Its grainy texture hides a delightful taste of mushrooms. As it matures, it develops salty taste that isn't for everyone. Amongst the endless list of French cheeses are Brie, commonly known as the queen of cheeses, Roquefort, the king of cheeses and Camembert which dates back to the eighteenth century.

The ideal way to taste cheese at its best is to go to the country and enjoy it along with other local products. Often, the wine chosen to accompany the cheese can make a great difference, and vice-versa. This is where local knowledge comes into its own, and in my experience, the people of the Mediterranean are only too willing to help you enjoy your experience.

The Author is the founder of http://www.yourholidayrentals.com providing worldwide holiday accommodation The original article, along with other interesting articles can be found at http://www.yourholidayrentals.com/inspiration/

Taking Care of You - A Feng Shui Priority

2009-09-03T02:30:00.001-07:00

Are You at the Top of Your List?

The "energy boost" Plan

Whether you have a home office, your work is your home or you work outside of the home, follow the same procedure for uncluttering your workplace.

These few changes in your lifestyle will lower stress, help you to be more efficient and productive and provide you lots more positive energy.

Alfredo, And Who On Earth Was He?

2009-09-02T22:39:00.001-07:00

Yes, Italians make a dish of pasta, fettuccine dressed with nothing else than good aged parmigiano cheese and a lot of butter, but is such a simple preparation that Italians dont even consider it a recipe.

Waverly Root in his famous book The Food of Italy (New York, 1971) wrote: FETTUCCINE AL BURRO is associated in every tourists mind with Rome, possibly because the original Alfredo succeeded in making its serving a spectacle reminiscent of grand opera. It is the same ribbon shaped egg pasta tat is called tagliatelle in Bologna; but the al burro preparation is very Roman indeed in its rich simplicity. Nothing is added to the pasta except grated cheese and butter - lots of butter. The recipe calls for doppio burro, double butter, which gives it a golden color.

Who was Alfredo then? Alfredo di Lelio, this was his full name, was an inspired cook who proposed this new exciting dish in the restaurant he opened in Rome in 1914. It was a high gourmet preparation in the Roman tradition of simplicity. Apparently he created his Fettuccine allAlfredo when his wife lost her appetite during her pregnancy. To bring back her appetite he prepared for her a nutritious dish of egg fettuccine with parmigiano cheese and butter. That probably gave him the idea for his triple butter fettuccine.

He was an extravagant character who used to personally serve his paper-thin fettuccine with golden forks, apparently donated to him by Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, the famous silent movie stars. In the fifties and sixties, Hollywood discovered Rome. Paparazzi photographers took photos of actors such as Tyrone Power, Ava Gardner, Richard Burton, Liz Taylor, or Sophia Loren in front of a plate of Fettuccine allAlfredo, making his restaurant famous all around the world. The restaurant is now run buy his grandson, and the golden forks are still used to serve this dish for special occasions.

Samuel Chamberlain, journalist and food writer, met Alfredo in the late fifties and wrote in his book Italian Bouquet An Epicurean Tour of Italy (New York, 1958): Finally there is the great Alfredo, showman par excellence, who draws an endless file of amazed and hungry tourists to watch his calisthenics over a dish of hot noodles. The King of Noodles has come out of retirement, and now wields his golden fork and spoon at ALFREDO ALLAUGUSTEO, at number 31 on the Piazza Augusto Imperatore. His Maestosissime Fettuccine allAlfredo are most majestic, without a doubt. [] You have to visit this place at least once, we suppose, just to say you have seen this elderly, melodramatic good-hearted clown in action.

So, forget the heavy cream, the parsley, the garlic, and all the other stuff suggested in the hundreds of Alfredo recipes that circulate around. Take down from the shelf that pasta machine, prepare your fresh fettuccine (you can substitute fresh fettuccine with excellent dry egg noodles), and enjoy the simple Maestosissime Fettuccine al Triplo Burro the way Alfredo himself would do them. Find the step-by-step illustrated recipe at this URL:
http://www.annamariavolpi.com/pasta_alfredo_recipe.html

Enjoy!

Anna Maria Volpi is a cooking instructor and personal chef in Los Angeles. Visit Anna Marias website http://www.annamariavolpi.com/page28.html for step-by-step illustrated Italian recipes, articles, pictures, and to enroll in her free newsletter. *************************************** Permission is granted for this article to reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website, as long as no changes are made and the copyright, resource box, and active link to her website are included. Please inform Anna Maria if you use of this article: anna@annamariavolpi.com

Chinese Vases Fengshui and Why You Should Own a Wealth Pot

2009-09-02T18:45:00.001-07:00

Feng Shui is one of the best ways to bring goodness into your life, though it only works if you believe in it with your heart. There are many symbols and many traditional Chinese items which are used in Feng Shui. Chinese vases Feng Shui are one of them.

These Chinese Feng Shui vases come in many shapes and sizes and in many colors which are important in Feng Shui. They are most beneficial in enhancement of money luck. They attract prosperity and help in maintaining it in the house. It's very important that you follow the various rules and guidelines in Feng Shui to get the best results.

Materials For Vases
The material of the vase should be in balance with all the elements of the area where the vase is supposed to be placed. For different directions, there are different materials to be used like for southwest or northeast you should use crystal and for west or northwest go for metal as it brings in the best of luck in wealth.

You can place Chinese coins and crystals and some jewelry and gold ingots or maybe some precious or semi-precious stones in it. It will help if you cover these vases with blue, green, red, yellow and white cloth and never open it again as it will help to retain the vases power. Besides keeping it covered, do hide it from the eyes of others.

Types of Feng Shui Vases

Porcelain Feng Shui vases symbolize perpetual harmony. They come in many colors such as blue. Blue is a magnificent Feng Shui color. It is connected to the healing and refreshing water and with the clear skies. The shades of blue can vary from a gentle aqua blue to the bluish green of the sea. There are also shades of blue that go into the deep indigo blue.

One of most magnificent vases is the large Ram vase with ancient Chinese characters inscribed on the face. The handles of the vase look like the horns of a Ram which happens to be one of the Chinese zodiac animals. Then there's a white and orange mother and child Chinese Feng Shui vase. You can energize your family area with this and it's very good for expecting mothers.

The triangle shaped vase with mountain and moon design with flying birds has special significance in Feng Shui. All these Chinese Feng Shui vases bring the money luck closer to you and keep them in your houses.

Similarly there are Feng Shui wealth pots that symbolize never ending good fortune and are symbols of prosperity. The Feng Shui wealth pot, as the name suggests, invites spiritual and materialistic good luck into your lives and it maintains it as well. It works as a wealth energizer and pulls lots of wealth in your house. There is an ancient practice of keeping wealth pots in homes practiced in china for several years by many rich people. It brings in lots of good fortune and loads of wealth too.

Now the question is why you should own a wealth pot? Isn't the answer obvious? Who wouldn't want wealth in their lives and would want to maintain it too? These wealth pots bring lots of good fortune in your lives so that's brings happiness too.

What's important is that you must follow all the guidelines and never open these wealth pots. They should be cleaned only on the day of the Chinese year and kept back again. So lets' bring in all the luck and let the magic begin with Chinese Feng Shui.vases

Click Here to get Free Tips on how to improve your life with Feng Shui. Lynn Lee is a celebrated authority on the traditional Chinese art of Feng Shui, providing valuable advice on Feng Shui Decorating.

Vegetarianism - What You Should Know

2009-09-02T14:52:00.001-07:00

Vegetarianism is a dietary choice, yet more so a change in one's lifestyle. Being a vegetarian includes excluding the eating of meat from animals, including beef, poultry, fish or their specific by-products. Vegetarianism can be practiced with or without including dairy products or consuming eggs. The choice to include and exclude foods varies greatly for vegetarians, as additional exclusions are vast. By choice of the individual, products derived from animal carcasses such as lard, tallow, gelatin, cochineal and rennet can also be boycotted.

Leaving Meat Out Of Things

By leaving meat products out of dietary plans, one would assume vegetarians are left with very little options of what they can eat. But, this assumption is utterly absurd and wrong. This said, vegetarians, if eclectic in their selections, have quite a diversified diet, one that primarily consists of vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts and beans, -and depending on individual tastes or practices- and also such animal products as milk, cheese or eggs.

What Drives or Motivates Vegetarians?

There are a plethora of reasons why vegetarians choose to live and eat the way they do. For rationals ranging from personal to environmental, vegetarianism is a dietary option and lifestyle decision not empty in practice. Rather it is quite full of justified and intelligible logic constituted of partaking peoples among a larger portion of the world.

Below are 4 listed reasons and/or motivations that drive vegetarians to keep with what they practice:

Environmental Concerns:

As a widespread reason for vegetarians, the environment is of primary concern. Vegetarians, specifically "Environmental Vegetarians," grasp strongly to the sheer fact that animal and meat product production, presently and with future projections, is environmentally unstable and unsustainable.

This is so through means of vigorous Industrialization, particularly taking into account and paralleling exhaustive farming techniques and high animal protein diets spread among developed nations, specifically within the United States.

Physiological Reasoning:

Based on studies conducted by experts, it is clearly stated that, as humans, we are better suited anatomically for sticking to a non-meat and vegetarian diet. This said, take into account the life expectancy rates in nations that partake in vegetarian or semi-vegetarian ways of living compared to animal and meat diet nations; life expectancy is significantly prolonged where vegetarian or semi-vegetarian diets are adopted and utilized. Additionally, it appears that through scientific studies, humans are built -not just better suited- for vegetarian-focused diets.

Psychological Inferences:

The mind is a funny thing. Not saying it's hilarious, but more so implying humor in how brains think, function and effect us in the process. From a vegetarian mindset, it is utterly foul and unappetizing to think about and/or ingest meat products and their by-products, whether from aesthetically or morally grounded stances.

Advocates of vegetarianism strongly believe that we, as human beings, are not driven by instinctual means to pursue or consume living or already dead meat in a natural setting.

Food Safety Concerns:

Many vegetarians choose their lifestyle to avoid meat eating scares, such as lingering and easily transferable diseases or conditions brought on through various microorganisms typically located within animal products and the like.

Such conditions or diseases can include any of the following: cattle-based BSE -known as Mad Cow Disease-, poultry-derived avian flu, sheep spread 'foot-and-mouth,' and usual salmonella on eggs.

Clearly, vegetarianism is a lifestyle choice based off viable reasoning. Whether one opts to adopt such a lifestyle is solely up to the particular individual whom is interested. But now, at least knowledge of a few facts and an awareness of the vegetarian perspective -both necessary in familiarizing and positioning one's self to see where one sits in dietary terms- have been established.

Whether vegetarian or not, green bags offer great ways to preserve one's produce and utilize reusable produce bags to help our environment.

The Principles of Feng Shui

2009-09-02T11:01:00.001-07:00

Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of telling your destiny. The five elements of Feng Shui are Wood, Fire, Water, Earth and Metal. The elements are presided over by either the productive or destructive cycle. When the elements are productive, Water produces Wood which in turn produces Fire and the cycle carries on to generate Earth and then Metal, follow by Water and it replicates itself all over again.

When the elements are destructive, Wood will break up Earth, which goes on to soak up Water, douse Fire and goes on to dissolve Metal. The destructive cycle is the process of decay but it can be rejuvenated to make room for growth.

In addition to, you have the eight directions and how the elements are represented by various colors.

The color scheme of the five elements is as follow:

Wood = Green

Fire = Red

Water = Black or blue

Earth = Brown or Yellow

Metal = White, Gold, or Silver.

The significance of Feng Shui is harmony, which is to achieve Yin and Yang balance. Ying and Yang denote the negative and positive energy that exist in our atmosphere. The principles of Feng Shui can be applicable to the planning of our home, the workplace and every aspects of our life including your internet business.

Fundamentally, you will need the expertise of the Feng Shui practitioner to assist you to achieve harmony with the environment. Feng Shui has been known to perk up your health, love life or finances and if apply rightly, can lead to good health, flourishing love life and excellent financial health. To achieve the desired harmony, the elements and colors must match as in the practice of Feng Shui, it is essential that harmony and balance remain so as to enable the chi to be positive. The dominance of one element or color over another will lead to adversity.

Water corresponds to prosperity and wealth so it is crucial to enhance it in the region of your workplace or home. The Wood element represents all living plants and trees, so wealth and prosperity will thrive in the home if they are found ideally placed. On the other hand, the Earth energy is warm and comforting by inducing closeness and togetherness. In the case of Yang element, it is symbolizes by Metal.

Incorporating the principles of Feng Shui can lead to harmonious relationship with nature, people around you and other features of your life. Feng Shui is essentially a principle to accomplish balance and harmony with our surroundings.

Jason is a creator of several websites and he loves the study of Feng Shui as well as incorporates elements of Feng Shui principles in his life. You can access the website at http://www.applyingfengshui.com

Awesome Popcorn Facts!

2009-09-02T07:08:00.001-07:00

Americans eats more than 16 billion quarts of it. This well liked treat is whole grain and good for you too! This equals out to 65 quarts for every man, woman and child. It is very low in calories. It has 55 calories per cup. Air popped has 31 calories per cup.

It is a member of the grass family. It is known by it's scientific name as Zea Mays Everta. It is a type of corn or maize. There are 5 different types of corn. They are flour, dent or field, flint, sweet and popcorn. Only popcorn can pop. This due to the amount of moisture in the kernels. The moisture content is 13 to 14 percent.

The 2 different types are Snowflake and Mushroom. The Snowflake is normally used in concession poppers. The Snowflake pops up soft and fluffy. The Mushroom variety is mostly used in candy making. It holds up to handling and takes candy coatings better. There are over 700 different types of popcorn.

In the early 1700's, kettle corn was introduced to the settlers . They would take large cast iron kettles and pop the corn in them. The settlers used lard and molasses, sugar cane or honey. They would use what ever sweeteners they had on hand.

The kettle corn that is being popped at fairs and farmers markets is a great way to make money. It has a very high profit margin and a very low overhead. You can usually recoup your initial investment in a couple of shows.

Mr. Perry Spencer led the way to the development of the microwave oven. He discovered that when popcorn was placed near a microwave it would pop.

Some of the oldest known popcorn was discovered in the Bat cave of west central New Mexico in 1948. The ears of corn ranged from smaller than a penny to almost 2 inches long.

It became very popular during the great depression in the 1890's. They was sold it in bags for 5 to 10 cents each. Some street vendors would push their gas and steam powered poppers around following the crowds selling the delicious treat. Very few people could afford this luxury. Some people even started their own popcorn business to help their families during the lean years.

Sales dropped off in the early 1950s, when the TV. became popular. Movie theater attendance also dropped too. So did consumption, when the public started eating it at home. Home poppers were first introduced around 1925.

January 19 is National Popcorn Day!

April 7th is Caramel Popcorn Day!

October is National Popcorn Popping Month!

Native American tribes would pop the corn right on the cob. They would spear the corn cob with a stick and roast it over an open flame. This would cause the kernels to pop and stick right on the cob.

The English colonists enjoyed it at the first Thanksgiving feast in Plymouth, Massachusetts. It was brought as a gift by the chief's brother. The colonists ate the popcorn with milk and sugar. This is the first known breakfast cereal.

The American Dental Association lists it as a sugar free snack. It is low in calories along with pears, apples, cheese, nuts and plain yogurt.

For weight control, The American Diabetes Association uses it as a bread exchange. It provides the the necessary roughage and fiber to aid in digestion and the overall health of the body. It provides 1.3 grams of dietary fiber needed.

The kernels will start popping at the temperature of 347 degrees. It can pop as high as 3 feet. The un-popped kernels are called "spinsters" or "old maids". Good popcorn should produce less than 2 percent of "old maids".

It also contains more protein, iron and phosphorus than potato chips, an ice cream cone, pretzels or soda crackers.

It is enjoyed in many different flavors in different parts of the world. Germany, Luxemburg, Switzerland and Belgium love it sweet. The rest of Europe prefers it salty. Americans love it with salt and butter and a host of sweet coatings. The Japanese eat it with seaweed or shrimp flavorings.

For Great Gourmet Popcorn supplies, Please visit us at Gourmet Popcorn We carry a wide assortment of Popcorn poppers too! Hand crank popcorn poppers

Pa-Kua Feng Shui Basics

2009-09-02T03:12:00.001-07:00

FENG SHUI BASICS

Feng Shui (literally "Wind and Water" in Chinese), is all about balance and harmony between us and our environment. Just like the Yin and Yang energies, Feng Shui is about balance. Where there is light, there will always be darkness; where there is fire, there will always be water; and so forth.

Feng Shui teaches that every individual interacts differently to their environment. Sometimes, a particular environment - such as a house or office - is so suited to you that you find that everything in your life is great. However, if you have troubled relationships or financial woes, it is quite likely that there is some discord or imbalance between yourself and your environment, manifesting in your daily life.

By subtly modifying your environment, you will be able to restore this balance, and consequently improve your life. Modifying your environment can be as simple as changing the angle or position of your work desk, or by buying Feng Shui items such as mandarin ducks and placing them in proper locations in your home or office.

There are many systems of authentic classical Feng Shui. This article describes the Xuan Kong (pronounced "Shu-en Kong") system. Xuan Kong (literally "Mysterious Void" in Chinese) is a complete system which includes complicated formulae to calculate optimal positioning and composition of an environment.

EIGHT MANSION (PA-KUA) SCHOOL OF FENG SHUI

There are a few sub-schools within the Xuan Kong system, including the popular Flying Stars school. The descriptions in this article are based on the Eight Mansion school, also known as the Pa-Kua school. In the Pa-Kua technique, the compass is divided into eight directions, each of which is depicted by a trigram. Each of these directions have different significance. For example, one of the Pa-Kua directions is the personal or relationship direction, which will be of the most interest to someone with troubled relationships. Furthermore, the significance of each direction differs for each individual.

To find out how each Pa-Kua direction affects you personally, you will need to calculate your Kua Number.

The calculator will provide you with your Kua Number, and more importantly, what each Pa-Kua direction means to you. In short, four of those directions will be positive and favorable to you, while the other four will have negative connotations for you.

The eight Pa-Kua directions can be briefly summarized as follows:

Sheng Chi (Life Generating) - This Pa-Kua direction is your prosperity and wealth direction. You would focus on this direction if you are interested in financial strength.

Tien Yi (Heavenly Doctor) - This direction is your health direction. You would focus on this direction if you are interested in health and physical matters.

Nien Yin (Relationships) - This direction is your relationships direction. You would focus on this direction if you have troubled relationships and would like to improve your love life and/or your marriage.

Fu Wei (Stability) - This direction is your stability and knowledge direction. You would focus on this direction if you want to achieve tranquility and knowledge.

Ho Hai (Mishaps) - The first negative Pa-Kua direction is your accident or misfortune direction. You would focus on this direction if you want to reduce unforeseen accidents or loss.

Wu Gwei (Five Ghosts) - This direction is your financial loss direction. You would focus on this direction to prevent theft and other financial woes.

Liu Sha (Six Killings) - This direction is your "evil" direction. You would focus on this direction to ward off malevolence against you.

Chueh Ming (Total Loss) - This direction is your loss and death direction. You would focus on this direction to reduce physical loss and death around you.

Steven maintains the Mandarin Duck Feng Shui website at http://www.mandarin-ducks.com It provides information on how mandarin ducks are able to help improve relationships using Feng Shui principles.

Feng Shui Decorating

2009-09-01T23:19:00.001-07:00

Feng Shui, you have heard it mentioned but still are unsure what it really is. Well let's find out the true meaning of Feng Shui. Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of placement and stands for wind and water. The Chinese used this system to balance out the energy patterns of their physical environment with spiritual forces. Their ultimate goal was to achieve harmony, comfort, and balance, first within their environment and then within their lives. In the Chinese culture the gentle wind and the clear waters have always been linkedwith good health and a good harvest. So from this good Feng Shui means good livelihood and good fortune. On the other had bad Feng Shui means misfortune and hardship. So Feng Shui is a very important part of the Chinese lifestyle. Feng Shui is based around Taoist and their vision and an understanding of nature. This focuses specifically on the belief that land is a living being and is filled with Chi. The ancient Chinese felt that the land's energy could either help the kingdom prosper or cause it to fail and fall apart.

There are three principles behind Feng Shui. They involve design, placement, and proportion throughout the space. Without these three principles everything would become unbalanced and interfere with a person's health and happiness within their environment. The main tools that are used during the Feng Shui analysis is the Ba-Gua which is an octagonal grid that contains the acient symbols of the great I Ching and the compass. The I Ching is an ancient oracle which is what Feng Shui is based around. Knowing the Bagua for both your home and also your work space will be a great help to you to completely understand how the connection of certain specific Feng Shui in certain areas of both your home and work space can be linked to certain areas and parts of your overall life.

Now we move on to putting the Feng Shui into your home. Generally a consultant would come into your home and look at the five elements wood, fire, earth, metal, water (xuan kong flying star (north star), color, positioning of all the furnishings, and offer out cures for the problem areas). The colors associated with Feng Shui are: wood is blue and green, fire is red and some of the items for this would be a tea light or a tamp lamp with a red shade, earth is beige and yellow and the items for this would be a terra cotta pot with soil and a rock statue, water is blue and black and the items here could be a fountain or aquarium, and metal is an accent color made up of silver, gold, copper, and bronze.

When it comes to the positioning of your furniture you should always face it in the direction of all the action such as the front door or street. This will give you the perfect flow of Feng Shui. Yang is considered to be the most active energy. It is usually lively and busy such as a public place or a flowing river. This is generally the most windowed side of your home. It should contain a nice view and it is usually a living or family room. Ying is considered the least energy. This is usually found in the sitting direction of an alley or backyard. Shade trees highlight this area making it quiet and relaxing. This can be the side of the property and you would find the bedrooms in this area.

For more Information on this topic visit http://www.buildwish.com a free Online Home Improvement Directory in 100 Cities in North America. Featuring over 2 million Real Estate classifieds, helpful articles, contests, home improvement videos, virtual home tools, Qualified Trades people, ask an expert, a moving center, get free quotes for Insurance, Moving, Mortgages, Contractors, Find Foreclosures and a finance blog that will save you money on bank rates & credit card rates.

The Three Sage Kings and the Five Legendary Emperors

2009-09-01T19:26:00.001-07:00

Suiren, Fuxi and Shennong are regarded as the Three Sage Kings of ancient China who made personal sacrifices to improve the lives of the people. They are known for one or more unique contributions to mankind.

Suiren who reputedly lived 18,000 years ago discovered how to make fire by drilling wood. This discovering enabled mankind to eat cooked food and use fire to keep warm and ward off wild animals.

Fuxi taught people how to domesticate animals. He also taught them to make nets to catch fish, birds and wild animals and in the process ensure the supply of food all year round. He was also responsible for creating the institution of marriage and the for a 35 string musical instrument. His most important contribution however was the Bagua or Eight Trigram that formed the basis for the all important I Ching or Book of changes.

Shennong, also known as Yandi, invented the ancient rake, spade, plough and sickle and taught people to grow five types of cereals, rice, two types of millet, wheat and beans. He also invented barter trade and further modified Fuxi's 35 strings musical instrument into a 5 strings one.

However he was best remembered for tasting hundreds of wild herbs to find remedies to treat illnesses. In the process he suffered continually from poisoning and eventually die from eating one too many.

The emperors after Shennong were Huangdi, Zhuanxu, Diku, Yao and Shun and they are collectively known as the Five Legendary Rulers.

Huangdi have many achievements attributed to him. He had good management skills and knows how to use men of ability to help him rule the country and come out with innovations.

He commissioned his subject to develop a written language which contributed to the growth of Chinese Culture. With another he studied the art of healing and compiled "The Yellow Emperor's Medicine Classic". Yet with another he developed the 60 year cycle "Jia Zi" calendar that aided in farming.

Huangdi advocated peace and avoided war. During his reign, the people enjoyed peace and prosperity and it ushered in the age of civilization for the Chinese people.

Zhuanxu who succeeded Huangdi was not his son. He was chosen over Huangdi's many sons because of his outstanding ability. Zhuanxu greatest contribution was to bring law and order to the people plus consolidating the power of the central authority.

After Zhuanxu comes Diku who was a great grandson of Huangdi. Diku was a benevolent king who placed the people's welfare above self. He created new official posts and ministries with clearly demarcated duties such as the Ministry of Land, Forestry, Water, Metal Ores and Fire. And he personally conducted inspections frequently to ensure that the country was well run. He also further improved the calendar which contributed to farming.

Yao was Diku's son. He was industrious and benevolent like his father. He further developed the calendar and modified the timing of planting that resulting in bumper harvests.

Shun was Yao's son in law. Although his mother died when he was very young, and his step mother and father ill-treated him, he remained filial to them. His great virtue helped him to gain fame and he was summoned to King Yao's service at 30. He eventually married King Yao's daughter.

Shun drafted the five rules of etiquette and others rules and regulations which the dukes and princes had to observed. He also divided the country into 12 states with each having its own administrator. He continued to implement changes at the administrative level and set up the department of rites, music, farming, mulberry planting, works, water and land.

Shun was succeeded by Yu who founded the Xia Dynasty. Yu was famed for his ability to control flooding but that is another story for another time.

Henry Fong

Feng Shui Consultant.

Feng Shui Absolutely

Feng Shui For Your Money, Prosperity in 4 Easy Steps

2009-09-01T15:31:00.001-07:00

The ancient Chinese practice of Feng Shui (pronounced Foong Shway or Fung Shoy) focuses on the placement of items throughout your house to maximize the flow of life energy, called "Chi". Practitioners believe that you can attract and direct chi in a way that will refresh your life and home.

In lackluster economic times, when money managers are afraid to admit to the fact that we may be in a recession, or even worse, looking at a depression, we may need to look all around to find things that may produce more in our lives. Feng Shui, why not? If our bank accounts can benefit from a few extra dollars, why not give it a try. What's the worst that will happen? You may have some nice green plants and a fish in a bowl.

1. Find The Money Sector In Your Home

According to contemporary Feng Shui beliefs, your home is divided into regions corresponding to different aspects of your life, such as health, wealth or career. This division of the home is called the "ba gua", and each region is called a "gua". You should focus on the gua of whatever aspect of your life you wish to improve. For the purpose of this article we are focusing on prosperity and money. So how do you find your prosperity gua? Easy. Stand facing into your house from the main entrance. This would usually be the front door. So now you're standing at the main entrance to your home, the wealth gua is located in the upper left corner of your floor plan. That was easy!

2. Eliminate Negativity

Now that we've located the prosperity gua in our home we need to treat it right. You want to rid this area of anything "negative." Get rid of the clutter, and repair or throw out anything that's old, broken or rundown. Dust, wash and clean this area and keep it clean.

What should NOT be in this area?

Clutter, peeling paint, leaky pipes, broken items, dead or dying plants. Nothing negative.

Note: If your bathroom happens to be your gua, keep the toilet seat closed or it can drain your positive energy.

3. Power Up Your Prosperity Area

Once you've cleaned everything up, it's time to get ready for the prosperity. True believers of Feng Shui say that placing certain objects or colors in the gua, you can strengthen this area and invite wealth into your life. But it is important that you avoid clutter in this area, so be selective with the below listed items that you decide would work best.

4. Maintain Your Chi

Keep your prosperity gua clean, and uncluttered. Make sure that plants and fish are thriving. And don't make this corner of your house your singular focus. When we seek prosperity it also involves your overall outlook and approach to life and money. Feng Shui advises that donating money is a good way to ensure that more abundance flows into your life. If you can't donate money, donate your time. Always try to maintain a positive outlook on life and about everything that you do have in your life. Try not to focus on the things that you don't have in your life. Try not to be negative, and you never want to be jealous.

Necessary Prosperity Items

Goldfish; In Feng Shui, goldfish are one way to bring good energy to your home. Stock an aerated tank with several orange goldfish and one black goldfish. The black goldfish will absorb any negative energy (sorry someone had to be the black sheep or in this case black goldfish of the family).

Jade Plant; the jade plant is also referred to as a "money tree". Other types of green plants can be used as well. Make sure plants in your gua stay healthy, since they are representative of your financial state. Avoid thorny plants, as they are detrimental to finances.

Fountain; Water fountains, in Feng Shui water is an ancient symbol of abundance and prosperity. Choose a simple fountain, preferably round in shape, that's easy to keep clean. It doesn't have to look oriental in style, but should match the overall look of whatever room you place it in.

Colors; In Feng Shui the color green is for growth and purple is for wealth, so if you pair them together, then hopefully your money will multiply. Both colors can be integrated with any of the other objects we have already described. For instance you might put a plant in a purple pot. Or have a green water fountain.

Three Legged Toad; the three legged toad is one of the utmost symbols of prosperity in the traditional Feng Shui. Always remember to only use the three legged toad if your wealth center (gua) is in the living room, garden or other semi-outdoor area. The toad doesn't like other rooms.

About The Author: Forest Wakefield is an exercise equipment technician with over 15 years of practical on the job and factory training. He is also a self proclaimed "Treadmill Doctor". He has practiced Fen Shui for many years and has truly benefited for its many teachings. His website http://www.treadmillmart.com offers simple, creative ideas regarding exercise equipment, health and fitness. Forest's offers exercise equipment parts for some of the most common brand treadmills and ellipticals at his web site http://www.treadmillpartszone.com

Feng Shui in the Laundry Room

2009-09-01T11:39:00.001-07:00

Much like the Feng Shui bathroom, the Feng Shui laundry room is a place that harnesses the Water element.The laundry room is also an area that cleanses and removes dirt.Though it may be easy to overlook, the laundry room is an important area to apply Feng Shui principles to.Every aspect of your home can affect the flow of positive Chi throughout the home and the laundry room is no exception.

There are many different ways to bring Feng Shui harmony to your laundry room.The more steps you do the better the desired affect will be.The first thing you should do is check your hoses and under your washing machine.If either of these things are leaking it is believed you finances will "leak" and leave you.Make any necessary repairs or replacements to the hoses or machine to prevent any leaks.Next, check to see if there is buildup in your washing machine or dryer.Buildup in the washing machine is usually laundry detergent or dust.In the dryer be sure to clear out any lint that accumulates after every few dries.Lent and buildup are both essentially clutter, and Feng Shui is unable to be as effective in the presence of clutter.

Going along with cleanliness in the laundry room, wash the sink and the floors regularly.This will help keep the lint from building up on everything.It is also important to replace light bulbs as soon as they burn out.Always keep the trash emptied and be sure all of the cabinets are neatly organized.Organization in the laundry room is key when applying Feng Shui principles.It is important to have baskets allocated for each color/type of laundry to organize it.After you have washed and dried your laundry, never let it sit in the laundry room.Always fold and hang your laundry immediately after cleaning.

Just like in the Feng Shui bathroom, be sure you keep the door anytime you are not using your Feng Shui laundry room.If you don't have a door, hang a decorative curtain or beads in front of the washer and dryer.Whatever you hang up has to be pleasing to your eyes or it will bring you down in spirit.Also, the lid on the washing machine should always be closed.Since clean water is associated with finances, letting it out by leaving the lid open can let your finances flow away.The door on the dryer should also remain closed at all times.

As always, no matter what Feng Shui elements and principles you use for your laundry room, be sure not to overdo it.Too many elements will cause clutter to develop and hinder the Feng Shui effect.Once you have applied the Feng Shui principles to your laundry room enjoy an organized, clutter-free space.

For more information on Feng Shui and Feng Shui Products, visit FindFengShui.com.

Alfredo, And Who On Earth Was He?

2009-09-01T07:47:00.001-07:00

Enjoy!

Windex and Food: Imperfect Together!

2009-09-01T03:56:00.001-07:00

As tempting as it may be to use, Windex or any similar type product can be a hazard to use in the vicinity of food products, particularly cutting boards. If you do not have the proper sanitizer available, a certain secret common household item will suffice. Please read on to find out how you can keep your guests safe!

Our web community for business flight attendants can be frequently found discussing proper food handling and food safety tips. One lively discussion a few years back surrounded the proper way of cleaning a cutting board. Might I add that the food preparing area of the typical business jet galley is about the size of a two-by-four? Thus, food can easily get into contact with the wrong products if extra care is not taken.

In the conversation, one of our members remarked that she had cleaned her cutting board with Windex. Well, the ensuing responses to her comment nearly caused an online riot as many of our veteran fliers responded by emphatically stating that products such 409, Fantastik, and Windex can all be harmful if ingested. These and similar products contain high levels of white spirits or similar type toxins, something you never want your guests to come in contact with. These products typically carry warning labels that say something like the following, Do not ingest even in small quantities. Non-food safe.

Our beloved and uniformed newbie member was aghast, not at the replies, but at realizing that she had cleaned her cutting boards not once, not twice, but at the very least four or five times using Windex! Although no illnesses were reported because of her error, she quickly amended her cleaning methods from that point forward to use a special sanitizer designed for the safe cleaning of her cutting board. Naturally, all of our members were thankful that she was no longer a potential poisoner of the jet set crowd.

So, just what is that little secret common household item that can be used when the proper cleaning agent is no longer available? Actually, there are two: diluted white wine vinegar or . . . vodka! Yes, vodka can be used, but it does have the tendency of altering the taste of subsequent dishes . . . not necessarily a bad thing, but it does leave a residue. The recommendation, of course, is to have white wine vinegar on hand if a sanitizer is not readily available.

Please, please use the previously recommended cleaning agents only on surfaces that do not come into contact with food. You may not kill your guests, but you can certainly make them very ill by using the inappropriate products.

Matthew Keegan is the owner of a successful article writing, web design, and marketing business based in North Carolina, USA. He manages several sites including the Corporate Flight Attendant Community and the Aviation Employment Board. Please visit The Article Writer to review selections from his portfolio.

Feng Shui - Missing Sector Missing Luck

2009-09-01T00:02:00.001-07:00

Feng Shui is associated with formulas and concepts such as Eight Mansions Method, Eight Trigrams and Nine Palaces, amongst other things. Whilst Eight Mansion Method is a formula used by Feng Shui masters to categorize people into different groups according to their Trigram or Gua, the Eight Trigrams or Ba Gua can give a lot of information about a building. According to Feng Shui, a building has Nine Palaces or Sectors which makes up the total living space of the residents. These sectors are further accorded its individual locations and directions based on the Chinese Compass. Apart from the center, the other sectors of the building are north, south, east, west, northeast, southwest, northwest and southeast.

A land where a building sits on should ideally be square in shape so that there are nine equal sectors in the interior living space of the building. The problem arises when a land is not evenly shaped such as a triangle or other odd formations. This will give rise to partial or missing sectors in the interior living space. Any partial or missing sectors are inauspicious as it negates the elemental affinity between the sectors affected and the residents concern. This is because each sector of a building has an intrinsic Gua that is associated with a resident based on his or her year of birth. The Ba Gua or Eight Trigrams are Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen and Dui. These Eight Trigrams and their corresponding sectors in a building have elemental affinity with the residents in the form of energy or Qi. In Feng Shui, the life force or vital energy that gives life to all living things on earth comes from Qi. When a sector is partially or totaling missing in a building, the Qi is considered non-existent or very weak and the resident associated with the sector based on the trigram concern is thus affected negatively. He or she will not be able to tap into the positive or revitalizing energy of the missing Qi for luck and success.

For example, the following is one of the sectors, people and animal signs associated with the Eight Trigrams:-

-Sector - North
-Trigram - Kan
-People - Middle daughter
-Animal Sign - Rat

Each sector further governs a certain type of activity or occupation based on elemental affinity. When a sector is partially or totaling missing, the resident or the animal sign associated with it will face difficulty in his or her career pursuit related to the activity or occupation concern.

For example, the following is one of the sectors and the corresponding activity or occupation:-

Sector - North

Activity or Occupation - Logical thought, Intelligence, Research, Traveling

For example, a resident pursuing a legal career should not stay in a property with a missing east sector. A negative feature like a street lamp outside this sector can also erode the Qi therein and causes problem with expression.

In order to make sure that the sector that supports you are not missing or damaged by negative external features, you should inspect the building or property that you occupy and relate each sector to the type of work you do. This is one simple way of using Feng Shui to find out whether a building or a property is supporting or hampering your career.

For more and free Feng Shui consultation, E-books, articles and tips, you can visit http://www.bazidestiny.synthasite.com

Alvin Yap is the founder and owner of the website http://www.proactive-qi.com which offers free horoscope readings based on the Chinese Astrology known as the Four Pillars of Destiny and free consultation on the Chinese Metaphysical Science of Feng Shui. Visit us for free download of E-Books, tips, articles etc. Get Empowered, Get Energized and Get a Life!

Bison Meat Recipes For Every Meal

2009-08-31T20:09:00.001-07:00

When making the decision to switch from beef to buffalo meat there are many bison meat recipes for any meal. Knowing the difference in cooking this meat contrary to beef is important in getting the best out of the meat in flavor and in quality. Many people may not know that almost every recipe can be substituted with this leaner choice of meat over beef. Though many may not taste the difference when cooked in recipes this meat has it own great tasting flavor.

Knowing what it takes to get the best taste out of this meat for every recipe will help in making sure the best quality of the meat is always provided. The color of the bison meat is a deeper shade of red than beef because it does not produce streaks of fatty tissue like beef does. Because of the less fat this meat may cook more rapidly than beef. Cooking the perfect bison meat that is tender and tasty is cooking the meat at a lower temperature for a longer period of time. Never cook this meat on high temperatures and make sure it has plenty of moisture so it does not dry out and it is as tender as it can be.

Since breakfast is the most important meal of the day finding great tasting recipes to help start it off right may even give people a better day. There are several recipes that people can choose from to make with bison including sausage patties. Once the sausage has been made it can be added to a great tasting Breakfast Casserole with bison as the main ingredient followed by eggs, cubed bread, mustard and grated cheddar cheese. This dish and others shoppers will find will get them going in the morning with a great start to their day.

Lunches and dinners sometimes clash together so having bison meat recipes on hand to prepare for both is a good idea. Many people may have heard of bison burgers which are easy to mix together and best cooked on medium and even medium to low this will allow the moisture of the meat to stay inside without drying the meat out. Using ground bison in family recipes can be done with a great flavor there is one difference that many people will notice. There will be no fat to drain and the meat does not shrink like beef does.

When preparing for a Sunday family dinner with a bison roast there is not worry as to how long the meat will cook. It is best when it can cook until it falls apart when it is touched. But normally keeping the meat from drying out is very important for the best in taste. From pizza to stroganoff there are many recipes to choose from that will provide families with a great quality taste that provides them with a healthier choice for every meal. Those who do choose to use these great tasting recipes will want to make sure they do read the directions carefully to make sure the bison meat recipes they choose are cooked properly for the best in quality.

James Brown is a bison meat lover and has his own blog where he shares bison meat recipes with like minded people.

Grandparents Don't Get to Choose

2009-08-31T16:15:00.001-07:00

But, I did really want to choose my own nickname!!

Looking for special nicknames for grandparents, or articles, and poems visit Nicknames for Grandmothers.

Feng Shui For Troubled Times

2009-08-31T12:20:00.001-07:00

Authentic Feng Shui balances both visible and invisible energies. This is a critical difference from hobbyist or "do it yourself" Feng Shui that concentrates on changing what is visible about your environment - the arrangement of furniture, for example. In contrast, a professional practitioner of authentic Feng Shui also manages the powerful unseen energies in an environment and this is how it is possible to bring about almost miraculous results.

Still, with the economy pumping so much uncertainty and anxiety into the environment, it's important to do all you can to create a supportive and protective environment. If you can't immediately tap the expertise of a professional Feng Shui consultant, here are some common-sense ways to address - and improve - the visible energies in your home or office.

1. Create a clean and orderly environment. With all that's going on in the outside world, it's smart to make your interior world as stress-free as possible, and that starts by removing all visible signs of clutter, unfinished tasks, disorder and disrepair. There's no need to put on white gloves and spend every spare moment cleaning. However, the cleaner and clearer your rooms, the better air currents - and energy - will flow. As a result, you will feel calmer, safer and more productive. The reason is that everything, from a piece of paper to a dirty pot in the sink, has an energetic vibration. When there are too many objects in a room, there is simply too much vibration. This makes it difficult for you to concentrate and can leave you feeling anxious, pressured and cranky.

2. Lighten your rooms - and your mood. With so much bad news coming at you from every direction, it's easy to feel down and depressed. Did you know that spending too much time in dark rooms can actually contribute to depression, aching bones and other ailments? Let the sunshine in! Sunlight actually stimulates the optic nerve and tells the brain whether to produce serotonin (the wake-up, feel-good hormone) or melatonin (the time-to-sleep hormone). Sunlight is also a natural disinfectant that warms, brightens, and kills mold, mildew and germs. Light is a yang (vibrant) energy and in these tough times you want to bring in all the light you can to tip the balance away from living in an overly yin environment. Add a skylight if you can! If not, pull back the blinds, clean your windows, and turn up the lights. Full-spectrum light bulbs are wonderful since they reproduce the quality of natural sunlight and its positive effective on your body and mood.

3. Make peace with your dcor! Conflicting colors and patterns not only conflict with each other - they can put you in conflict with your environment. Their warring vibrations constantly jar your eye, making you feel anxious and irritable. Plus, constantly looking at conflicting colors and patterns will strain your eyes (creating fatigue and headaches) and, over time, put pressure on your liver. Headaches, anxiety and health issues are the last things you need: make it a priority to surround yourself with colors and patterns that are in harmony with one another - and with you.

4. An eyesore is an eyesore. Anything that you see in your environment that bothers you will eventually depress your immune system. Get rid of those eye sores: chipped dishes, torn clothing, frayed or stained furniture, etc. And if you have an "eye sore view" from your window, immediately hang sheer curtains to block the view while still filling your room with beneficial light.

5. De-clutter your mind. A cluttered home or business creates a disorganized mind. And a disorganized mind usually does not handle stress well, nor can you think clearly. Clutter literally clogs your home with energy that may cause depression and an out-of-control feeling. Not being able to find your things can subconsciously send the message that you're failing. Sometimes you allow clutter simply because you are just too exhausted to do anything about it. The irony is that it is often the clutter itself that is inciting this feeling of fatigue. Free yourself from clutter so things can begin to open up in your home - and in your life.

Remember, what's visible in your environment is always a manifestation of what's going on inside. The good news is that you can also use this principle in reverse! When you feel inner turbulence, use that anxious energy to transform your external environment: clean, clear away clutter, brighten, and beautify! You'll be amazed at the immediate changes you begin to experience in how your environment looks and in how you feel.

Feng Shui and Vaastu Expert Rupal Mehta Turner publishes "The Prosperity Report," a biweekly ezine that reveals Feng Shui and Vaastu secrets for a thriving business and personal life. If you're ready to improve your finances, health and relationships by using the forces in your environment, get your FR*EE tips now at http://www.ClassicalFengshui.com

Grandparents Can Get Involved With Paternity Testing As Well

2009-08-31T08:25:00.001-07:00

Traditionally, we think of paternity testing a something that involves a wronged spouse or a father looking to see if he has a paternal relationship with a particular child, but there are other instances where DNA testing is used for the betterment of people as well.

DNA Testing

We're all familiar with the fact that DNA testing is widely used to solve criminal activities as well but one of the places where people might be surprised to find it being implemented is with cases concerning the grandparentage of individuals. Generally, this kind of test is used to determine if two people can be the biological grandparents of a child. Like other kinds of DNA testing and including a paternity DNA test before birth, this process requires both the consent and samples be collected from all the parties involved.

This is a procedure used to determine the way a family's relationship works with each other when the father isn't available for testing. As with the other kinds of DNA testing, there's a need to find these relationships as they pertain to claims that are being made for social security and other inheritance claims.

Reputation

Of course the need for this kind of DNA testing generally means that the people involved want to make sure they get in touch with the best facilities that can carry these tests out in a reasonable and timely manner. That's where reputation means everything to these paternity testing companies. It's easy to find the best of these places online but there are a few other routes that you can take to ensure that the facility you choose will give you the best service possible. You can check their reputation several ways including:

- Asking friends and relatives what they know.

- Looking on the Internet to see what's been posted about any particular paternity testing company.

- Asking professionals like lawyers in your community who they use.

Patricia Donaldson is a nurse who works with paternity testing. She knows all areas of the business and is considered an expert in the dna paternity testing version of the procedure.

Fun Ideas On Kids Birthday Cakes

2009-08-31T04:34:00.001-07:00

Birthday cakes play the most important role in a kids birthday party. The child just waits for the moment to cut the birthday cake with an immense pleasure in his mind. There can be so many gifts for the child, but the center of attraction is the birthday cake. So there should be a lot of concern on the type of cake and decorating ideas for the birthday cake. It is worth putting a lot of time and money in planning the birthday cake.

The flavor of the cake should be selected in choice with the kid's birthday. If the child is fond of chocolate it should be of chocolate flavor. The flavor may vary from Strawberry, peanuts, fruit depending on the childs likings. Care should also be taken on the size, shape and color of the birthday cake. The size should be selected, keeping in mind on the no. of invitees to the party. Depending on it the cake can be made large or small. Even one can go for one or two sets set above each other which may be decorated in a specific theme. An ideal way of decorating a birthday cake is to add cartoon characters to it, preferably the cartoon character that the child and his friends are frond of. The color again should be set according to the child's favorite color which will bring an extra smile on the child's face.

If the birthday cake has a theme or idea the attraction for it, is immense. Here are few suggestions. There are Pirates and Princesses, a classic birthday cake themes for boys and girls. They can be Cinderella Castle Cake, ice Cream Castle Cake, Pirate Cake, Pirate Ship Cake, Princess Cake, Splendid Castle Cake, and Treasure Chest Cake. If the child is a sports loving kid, the cake should be of sports theme. Various sports themed cakes like Bowling Ball Cake, Bowling Lane Cake, Football Cake, and Skateboard Cake can be selected depending on the choice of sports. Adventure loving kids can have a Spiderman, Batman or Superman themed cakes where 3D models of super heroes are put as toppings on the cake with a lot of other characters signifying a part of a story. Besides there are train and air-plane cakes for the wings-and-wheel loving kids.

Once the birthday cake is made or purchased it should be decorated well. The decoration is generally done on the top and the sides of the cake. Besides the cake, the table on which the cake is placed should also be decorated. And yes, don't forget the candles. There are a wide variety of candles that are available in splendid designs to suit the mood of every birthday.

Craig Spencer writes on birthday celebrations, relationships , love and friendship. He also writes on holidays and global events.

He is a writer with special interest in the ecard industry and writes for 123Greetings.com

Advocating to Preserve the Grandparent-Grandchild Bond

2009-08-31T00:42:00.001-07:00

"I never thought this would happen to me and when it did, I thought that I was the only one!" cried yet another orphaned grandma. How could grandparenting, such a normal part of the life cycle, be so fragile?

Disenfranchised grandparents are part of a growing population of loving grandparents UNREASONABLY denied visitation with their grandchild by the parent(s). People ask: "WHAT DID YOU DO? YOU MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING?" Actually, no! These grandparents are the target of parental alienation either by association such as during a dissolution of marriage or a percolating family feud. The days of "spoiling them rotten", are over, sometimes that is all it takes to lose access.

Denied visitation causes not only the grandparents to suffer, but the children are equally harmed when they lose contact with grandparents. GRANDPARENT RIGHTS encompasses CHILDREN'S RIGHTS. Indeed, children should have the right to maintain a loving relationship with their grandparents, no matter what is going on with the parents.

Extended family relationships are crucial to a child's development in every way, so when faced with family discord, we need to work on removing the problem, not the person.

The grandparent stories depict the tragic reality that children are treated as "PROPERTY"; this has become an ongoing struggle to create solutions as well as my journey of self discovery as I waded into uncharted legislative and non profit territory. Most of all it is my GRAND WISH that the special and deeply significant bond between grandparent and grandchild be preserved and revered, starting with the judicial system.

EVERYONE NEEDS TO HAVE ACCESS BOTH TO GRANDPARENTS AND GRANDCHILDREN IN ORDER TO BE A FULL HUMAN BEING. Margaret Mead

Susan Hoffman is the author of the book, GRAND WISHES: Advocating To Preserve The Grandparent Grandchild Bond, isbn: 978-0-9799168-0-9. The purpose of the book is to raise awareness about the growing social problem of denied grandparent grandchild access as well as a resource for disenfranchised grandparents. Proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to the non profit organization, Advocates For Grandparent Grandchild Connection, of which Susan Hoffman is the creator and director. http://www.grandparentchildconnect.org

A Runnable Feast

2009-08-30T20:46:00.001-07:00

For many people what we are may be what we eat, which is why so many phobias revolve around food. Caste taboos in India often determine what we eat and who we eat with. Now councillors in Italian cities are banning new outlets for foods considered foreign, kebab shops being a primary target of their ire. If authorities in Lucca or Milan are to be believed, a citizen biting into a succulent kebab has some part of his Italianness taken away.

It's not enlightened to look at citizenship this way. Food could be the area where parochialism is least applicable. Look at pizza and pasta, considered quintessentially Italian foods. The idea of spaghetti used in pasta came from China, while the humble tomato, a staple in the preparation of both pizza and pasta, came from Peru and Mexico. Hernando Cortez, the Spanish conquistador, brought the tomato from Mexico to Spain, from where it moved to Italy. The range of foods made available by the discovery of the New World is astonishing. It includes the tomato, the potato and the chilli. Indian food, which relies heavily on these staples, wouldn't have been what it is had the Spanish and Portuguese not journeyed to Latin America in the 15th and 16th centuries and conveyed what they found there to Europe and Asia. Or, conversely, taken Indian spices around the world.

Tea comes from China, coffee from Ethiopia. That doesn't mean one can accuse the young urban professional sipping mocha or latte at a cafe anywhere in the world of worshiping alien, Ethiopian gods. Tea and coffee are now universally consumed, as are pizza and pasta. Think how ridiculous it would be if, in reaction to Italian cities clamping down on 'ethnic' eateries, other countries were to abolish pizza and pasta from their menus because of the Italian connection these foods have.

Something equally ridiculous happens in India when politicians rise against 'pub culture' because of its supposedly foreign origins, despite a hallowed tradition of drinking places in India. Thus we have health minister Anbumani Ramadoss, who likes to appear in public wearing western-style suits, pontificating about how alien 'pub culture' is to the Indian ethos. The crudely sexist subtext of this kind of warped nationalism was exposed by the assault on women, in the name of defending Indian culture, by right-wing goons in Man galore. Globalization started several centuries ago, with the trading of spices across continents. It's too late to roll it back now.

20 Facts You May Not Know About Frangipanis (Plumeria)

2009-08-30T16:51:00.001-07:00

According to Mexican myth the gods were born from Frangipani flowers.
Frangipani (Plumeria) is very rare in China, and even more precious than orchids. So, when a person gives frangipani flowers to a sweetheart, it is the closest thing to saying you're special, I love you in a culture where expression of personal feelings is frowned upon.
The colorful caterpillar of Pseudosphinx tetrio feeds predominantly on the leaves of Plumeria rubra (frangipani).
"Warming" oils -- such as those from frangipani are said to have a calming influence on those suffering from fear, anxiety, insomnia or tremors, according to the principles of Ayurveda, a 5,000-year-old Indian holistic science that seeks to balance mind, body and spirit.
Frangipanis are good hosts for dendrobium orchids.
According to Vietnamese myth, ghosts live in trees with white and fragrant flowers including the frangipani. In Vietnam and China the colour white is associated with death and funerals.
In Hindu culture, the flower means loyalty. Hindu women put a flower in their hair on their wedding days to show their loyalty to their husbands.
There is a theory that Catholic missionary priests spread frangipanis around the world as they travelled. This may explain why the frangipani is so popular and common in the Philippines and Thailand but very rare in China and Vietnam. Thailand and the Philippines welcomed the Christian missionaries while, in China and Vietnam, they were persecuted until around the 1850s.
The frangipani is regarded as a sacred tree in Laos and every Buddhist temple in that country has them planted in their courtyards.
Frangipanis won't burn except in extreme temperatures (over 500 degrees).
In Caribbean cultures the leaves are used as poultices (a healing wrap) for bruises and ulcers and the latex (sap) is used as a liniment for rheumatism.
The frangipani is also associated with love in feng shui.
In India the frangipani is a symbol of immortality because of its ability to produce leaves and flowers even after it has been lifted out of the soil. It is often planted near temples and graveyards, where the fresh flowers fall daily upon the tombs.
In Vietnam the frangipani is used for its healing qualities: the bark, mashed in alcohol, prevents skin inflammation. It is also used to treat indigestion and high blood pressure, while the roots have purgative effects on animals and the milk-like sap serves as a balm for skin diseases. The white flowers are used in traditional medicine to cure high blood pressure, haemophilia, cough, dysentery and fever.
In Malay folklore the scent of the frangipani is associated with a vampire, the pontianak.
In modern Polynesian culture, the frangipani can be worn by women to indicate their relationship status - over the right ear if seeking a relationship, and over the left if taken.
Frangipani trees were once considered taboo in Thai homes because of superstitious associations with the plant's Thai name, lantom, which is similar to ratom, the Thai word for sorrow. As a result, frangipanis were thought to bring unhappiness. Today, however, the blossoms are presented as fragrant offerings to Buddha and Thai people wear them on special festival days like Songkran (Thai New Year).
The frangipani is the national flower of Nicaragua and it features on some of their bank notes.
The name, frangipani, comes from the Italian nobleman, Marquis Frangipani, who created a perfume used to scent gloves in the 16th century. When the frangipani flower was discovered its natural perfume reminded people of the scented gloves, and so the flower was called frangipani. Another version has it that the name, frangipani, is from the French frangipanier which is a type of coagulated milk that the Plumeria milk resembles.
The name, Plumeria, is attributed to Charles Plumier, a 17th Century French botanist who travelled to the New World documenting many plant and animal species, although according to author Peter Loewer (The Evening Garden: Flowers and Fragrance from Dusk Till Dawn; Timber Press, 2002) Plumier was not the first to describe Plumeria. That honour goes to Francisco de Mendoza, a Spanish priest who did so in 1522.

Diane Ellis is co-owner of the site http://www.AllThingsFrangipani.com where you'll find information about frangipanis (plumeria) including growing tips, propagation, and frangipani pests and diseases.

You can also buy beautiful frangipani gifts such as jewellery, UV resistant outdoor stickers, toiletries, gift packs, and hand crafted bags.

What Are the Benefits of Feng Shui Water Fountains in Your Office and Home?

2009-08-30T12:56:00.001-07:00

Feng shui water fountains has a unique ability for bringing a sense of harmony and tranquility into a room. For this reason, many corporate offices have started using these water fountains. These fountains actually have the ability to lower the noise decibels in a room, making it sound quieter than it really is.

This allows for one to feel peaceful an calm. This is a great way to keep down the stress and tension that can build on many corporate offices. There are different types of these feng shui water fountains that you can choose from to place in your office.

Many offices become loud and raise your stress level through the roof. When this happens, it is often times hard to find a way to relieve this stress and keep our bodies healthy. With the use of the feng shui water fountains, it is now possible to keep the noise in your corporate office down and reduce the stress level for every one around.

Not only can these fountains be used to reduce stress among you and your employees, but it will also give your clients a sense of harmony and tranquility as they walk into your office area. Now there are two main types of these water fountains for you to choose from. Two of the most popular types of these fountains are the table tops and wall mounted water fountains.

If you have a large office, you may want to incorporate more than one fountain throughout the area. To allow for total and complete control over the noise decibels and stress control. In choosing the right water fountain to display in your office to gain these effects is something that can be done alone, however, many people often opt to get outside assistance in choosing the right fountain to provide you with the desired abilities.

There are many reasons why you should use a feng shui water fountain in your office. Noise and stress level are just a couple that can be benefited from using them. These fountains can also be a good way to allow us to concentrate on our work. Without stress or noise we can focus on what we are doing.

There are many different types of offices and businesses that use these water fountains to control the noise level and have great success with their business. If your office suffers from high stress levels and noise volume, then you should look into these fountains as a means of getting it under control.

Daryl Plaza is a regular contributor to NaturalBeautyWaterFountains.com a website with information and resources on all your indoor and outdoor water fountains

What To Look For In Silverware

2009-08-30T08:59:00.001-07:00

One of the most important elements of a properly dressed table, be it formal or casual, is high quality silverware. In fact, silverware has a lot more to offer than mere functionality. Design, color, and usability are all key factors that are easily overlooked by today's busy shoppers.

In the past, "silverware" was rather different from what we are accustomed to today. The first eating implements were very rudimentary wooden utensils. At first, the spoon was the most important (and sometimes sole) utensil used at the table. Although knives have been used to prepare food for several centuries, they were not common at the average persons table. The fork, todays ubiquitous eating utensil, is the relatively recent invention of an ingenious woman.

Today, silverware is typically sold in sets. A European silverware set is composed by seven utensils: fork, knife, soup spoon, fruit or dessert fork, fruit knife, dessert spoon and coffee spoon. In contrast, five utensils compose the typical North American dining set: fork, knife, soupspoon, fruit/dessert fork and teaspoon.

Silverware sets do not have to be expensive. Extremely simple sets that are easily affordable can be found almost anywhere. At the other end of the spectrum, exquisite hand-forged silverware sets are popping up at more and more boutique stores. The choices are nearly endless. That said, how should one choose? There are two criteria I suggest that you keep in mind when choosing silverware: how the utensils feel in your hand, and the type of table setting you plan to use them with.

You can easily judge the feel and usability of silverware by holding a piece in your hand. There are no pre-set rules to follow. Just hold the utensils and see if they are well-balanced and comfortable to hold. The second important aspect to keep in mind when choosing silverware is the type of table or setting you plan to use the silverware with. If it is intended for everyday use, you should choose something that can easily withstand the constant use of your family and one that is dishwasher safe. Stainless steel is always a good choice. Stainless steel silverware is almost indestructible yet can be very beautiful at the same time. Here is a good example: If, on the other hand, you plan to have a more formal dinner or table setting, then you should probably choose a more precious and elaborate set of silverware. Sterling silver is the classic choice, of course, but high quality silver-plated sets will also work nicely. The price of silver-plated dinnerware is much more affordable than pure silver and the look and feel is essentially the same. Here is a good example of formal silver-plated utensils.

Always keep in mind that even though marketers and advertisers will tell you differently, you do not have to spend a fortune to properly dress a formal dinner table. Ultimately, the overall effect of your well-chosen details counts much more than the dollar amount you spent. Be creative and live beautiful!

Astro-Carto-Graphy - Global Feng Shui - Finding the Best Places For You to Live

2009-08-30T05:06:00.001-07:00

Astro*Carto*Graphy is an astrological technique that is similar to feng shui (fng schway). Where feng shui concerns itself with creating harmony in the immediate home environment by removing obstacles, moving furniture and use of color and symbols, Astro*Carto*Graphy concerns itself to which locations on planet Earth are most harmonious for you to live. With this understanding I have been introducing Astro*Carto*Graphy to the feng shui community as Global Feng Shui.

Finding the Best Places to Live
Many of you are familiar with some of the usual ways astrology can be used in self-discovery, understanding relationships and understanding the changes that happen throughout life (transits and progressions). An Astro*Carto*Graphy Map is a map of the world showing exactly where each planet was passing over at the moment of birth. Through my study of Astro*Carto*Graphy, I have found that different locations have different influence making it easier or more difficult to manifest goals and even to resolve personality and health issues.

Whenever someone is considering moving to a new location, the Astro*Carto*Graphy Map helps to determine the best location to move to. More frequently, I use this chart when an individual seems unhappy where they are and there is no other astrological reasons to explain why life has been so tough for so long. In this situation it usually turns out the individual is living on an unfavorable planetary line.

Planetary Lines
The planetary lines that are most favorable are Sun, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury and the Moon, The lines that are most difficult are Saturn, Pluto, Mars, Uranus and Neptune. Difficult lines can be used to advantage sometimes and sometimes they aren't as difficult when combined with a more favorable line.

For example: a Saturn-line may be beneficial for helping some bring structure into their life but once they have their 'act together' the best advice is, "leave." Living on a Saturn-line is much too depressive, burdensome, alienating, lonely and contractive in all areas. Pluto-lines can be even worse. Pluto-lines may begin with a wonderful high, even ecstatic highs, but in short time the crest of the wave gives out and there is a heavy fall. Again the advice is, "leave." Briefly, Mars is too contentious, competitive and masculinizing in a negative sense. Uranus is too erratic, nerve wracking and unpredictable. Neptune is to wishy-washy and rarely sees manifestation. Both Uranus and Neptune may be more creative, spiritual or romantic when combined with a more favorable planet.

The favorable planets bring creativity, popularity, positive relationships, good sense of well-being, great abundance, and an overall quality of life.

Karma is the Key
So why would anyone choose anything less than the best planetary lines to live on? Karma of course. Lessons in life that need to be worked through. Where we live fits our patterns. For an individual who has been struggling for years living on a difficult planetary line, looking at an Astro*Carto*Graphy Map usually means they are ready to make a conscious choice to live a more harmonious and fulfilling life.

You Take Yourself With You Wherever You Go
Of course it should be understood that changing the feng shui of your home or moving somewhere else on planet earth doesn't change your core issues - it's not going to make a short person, tall, or someone with no artistic talent , an artist. However, it should also be understood that by making changes on the physical, you set your intention to change on the spiritual. By moving furniture in your home or changing cities you could remove additional frustrations in resolving these core issues sooner, rather than later. For example: an alcoholic in recovery may find more of an inclination to back-slide in certain locations and more support to grow and change in another.

It would be folly to think that just because you move to or living on your Venus-line that relationships will be easy or that you will finally meet your soul-mate. Indeed, if you still haven't resolved your core issues of a need to be in control, or a victim-victimizer issues, or whatever issues you have that have made relationships difficult in the past, you will still have them even on your Venus-line. You may even have a relationship that ends in divorce. However, compared to a Mars-line even the divorce will proceed harmoniously and you will at least part as friends. Whereas on a Mars-line, the relationship is more likely to end in bitterness and perhaps with a bitter court room battle.

Cyclo*Carto*Graphy - It's All About Time
For people who travel from location to location, there is another technique called Cyclo*Carto*Graphy. This is similar to a transit reading of the birth chart as it shows the changing energy. Former President Carter had Mars in Iran but it wasn't until Pluto went over Iran that this potential aggression exploded in the hostage controversy. Likewise, Pluto was transiting over Dallas at the time Kennedy was assassinated. For the rest of us mere mortals, the implications are the same. If you travel to a place during a poor transit, you are likely to experience some form of difficulty reflective of your core issues and evolutionary needs. I made the mistake once of traveling to an otherwise joyous Venus location, when Saturn was transiting over head, and found myself in a serious accident which put me down for three days. Timing can be important.

Astro*Carto*Graphy - Global Feng Shui
After evaluating thousands of Astro*Carto*Graphy Maps over the last twenty years, it has become evident that those people, even feng shui masters and grand masters, regardless of their fame and fortune, who enjoy the best quality of life, consistent good health, and enduring relationship harmony are those people who are living in those locations indicate as most favorable for them as described by their Astro*Carto*Graphy Map. This further demonstrates that before you buy your home and decorate using feng shui guidelines, first choose your best geographical location using Astro*Carto*Graphy.

Acknowledgment: The Astro*Carto*Graphy Map and Manual was developed by astrologer Jim Lewis to whose innovative and inventive Spirit we are greatly indebted.

Elliot jay Tanzer has provided astrological services since 1973. He is the author of Evaluating Astro*Carto*Graphy Maps: Finding the Best Places to Live & Travel - Your Step-by-Step Guide, Choose the Best House for You: The Feng Shui Checklist, and Exercises for the Spiritual Body - Meditation and Metaphysics and Their Practical Applications. He has been a featured speaker at many astrology, feng shui conferences, whole life expos, and metaphysical societies.

Unfortunately, not all astrologers, no matter how talented, have the certification training or the experience in Astro*Carto*Graphy Map interpretation. Nor are the A*C*G Maps generated on home computers as precise as the professionally plotted 15" x 7 1/2" A*C*G Maps provided by http://www.AstroNumerics.com. I have taken the A*C*G Certification Course and have analyzed hundreds of A*C*G Maps, and can answer all your questions concerning where you live; or, if you are planning a move, I can help you find those locations that are best for you and your family.

Another option is to obtain my easy to use instruction book, Evaluating Astro*Carto*Graphy Maps: Finding the Best Places to Live & Travel - Your Step-by-Step Guide, which will show you how to prep your Astro*Carto*Graphy Map, explain the planetary lines, and then show you how to transfer the result onto a world atlas. By following my directions you can clearly see all the cities, towns, and rural areas that will be the best places for you to live or travel. My book is not yet available in book stores and can be obtained directly from me at the contact numbers below.

For information about Astrology and Astro*Carto*Graphy Map Readings, Feng Shui consultations, or upcoming classes, call Elliot at: (310) 281-6798, or at his Web site: http://www.Astrolog2009.com.

Shuistrology Could Bring You Good Luck This Year

2009-08-30T01:11:00.001-07:00

What is shuistrology you ask? It's a term coined by author Ellen Whitehurst when she combined feng shui and astrology.

It's mostly for fun but it has its roots in traditional wisdom that could make this year lucky for you. She gives this advice in her new book:

Make a clean sweep. Dig in to your house or apartment with a deep cleaning to clear the way for an exciting new year. Don't clean on New Year's Day itself; you might sweep away the good luck.

If cleaning the whole house seems like too big a chore, try just concentrating on the kitchen. That's the room that brings you prosperity and health. Look around your house and find 27 things that you can rearrange to bring good look from all directions. To attract good fortune, put 27 one dollar bills in your wallet and 49 coins in your pocket or change purse. Sprinkle some ground ginger on them and on your checkbook.

Focus solely on the future. Conversations about events that took place in the past should be avoided. Talking about dreams, hopes and wishes for the future is encouraged. Take nine small oranges and place them in a bowl on your kitchen table. This will attract sweet things in the coming year. If you don't have oranges, bowls of candy, nuts or fruits are lucky as well.

Rid your life of all the negatives. Scare away any destructive influences in your life by lighting firecrackers at midnight (don't scare the neighbors though) or banging pots and pans together.

The first words of your day should be positive ones, even if they are not said by you. Tell someone to give you a positive message just after midnight. This can encourage good fortune for you. Make an effort to not lose your temper or swear during the day, this can have a negative effect on your luck.

Eat foods that are considered lucky. Some swear by corned beef and cabbage. Others will tell you salmon and oranges. Leafy greens symbolize money. Collard greens along with black eyed peas are eaten in the south for good luck. Folks in Texas prefer cabbage or turnip greens.

Cheri Brennan is an organization and planning specialist. To get more articles, tips and resources about Feng Shui, please visit http://fengshui.newinfohighway.com

Italian Bread Making Cabinet

2009-08-29T21:17:00.001-07:00

Italians obviously pay a lot of attention to their variety of breads! They even have a special cabinet called the Madia or Italian bread making cabinet. It seems they have more than 350 varieties, of which 250 are readily available. No wonder they have a special cabinet for it! They even have specialities from each region.

This Madia that I saw in a site is from the Tuscany region and these people specialize in flat breads including rosemary-flavoured schiacciata.Tuscan antiques, even though a subset of Italian antiques seems to enjoy its own prestigious place among European antiques. Madia is the Italian name for a chest used for the making and storage of bread. The top lifts off and the front folds down at the hingers, making wonderful storage. The two doors at the bottom open for additoinal storage as well. The cabinet is from the early 19th century and is made of poplar wood. Bread in the Italian society has always been at the center of any religious, family or social life.

And they take pride in the exquisite furniture they created in the 18th and early 19th century. This site where I was introduced to a Bread Making cabinet and which got me interested in different types of Italian breads also showcases many more Italian antiques, some even quaintly called the ice-box, which I shall talk about in another article! Whether it is their Sardinian carta da musica (thin as sheets of music!!) or Romagna's piadina or the rustic Ciabatta, the study of Italian bread varieties and their cabinets is a very interesting pass time.

Reference sites: http://roundtripimports.net

Spread the Love With a Valentine's Day Bash For All Your Loved Ones

2009-08-29T17:23:00.001-07:00

Many people celebrate Valentine's Day with their significant others but why not spend the night with all your friends and family too?

Whether you're in a relationship or not, Valentine's Day is about love. So what better way to show your love for friends and family than to throw them a party? And this year, Valentine's Day falls on a Saturday so no excuses! A festive evening of red and pink delights can show those in your life how much you care about them, not to mention, the more the merrier!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Appetizers
Serve elegant dishes from the start with a cheese fondue or these seafood-inspired appetizers!

Easy Cheese Fondue
Valentine's Day Salmon Pate
Artichoke Seafood Dip
Special Occasion Clam Dip
Ultimate Shrimp and Dipping Sauce

Main Courses
Impress your friends and family with a main course that's sure to make their hearts beat for more!

Crisp-Sided Salmon with Fresh Coriander Pesto
Shrimp with Spinach Fettuccine, Artichokes and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Raspberry Balsamic Glazed Chicken
Clams of the Sea Pasta
Stuffed Red Snapper Fillets

Side Dishes
Oven Roasted Red Potatoes and Asparagus
Sicilian Strawberry Slaw
Rosemary-Tomato Foccaccia Bread
Tri-Color Vegetable Risotto
Honey Ginger Carrots

Desserts
Make the course everyone is waiting for worthwhile with a pink peppermint pie or some special Valentine's Day cupcakes!

Pink Peppermint Pie
Simply Delicious Strawberries in Rich Chocolate
Be My Valentine Cupcakes
Red Velvet Cake
Pink Perfection (Cherry Dessert)

Beverages
Keep up the spirit of Valentine's Day with some festive red and pink drinks!

"Cup of Love" Punch
Pink Slush
"Cupid's Delight" Cherry Float
Pinkies
Zingy Red Punch

Presentation Pointers:
1. For a great Valentine's Day party activity, have your guests make each other Valentines out of red and pink construction paper and markers!
2. Spread little Valentine candy hearts across your table for some easy and adorable table decor!
3. In return for the great food and party you've planned, ask your guests to bring flowers to add to the atmosphere.
More Like This:
100+ Valentine's Day Recipes
Edible Valentines
Top 10 Valentine's Day Recipes

If you're not already receiving these weekly party planners right to your inbox, click below to sign up for the RSVP newsletter!

Hillary Marshak is a writer and editor for Recipe4Living.com, a popular recipe sharing Website. For more articles like this, or for a large collection of recipes, visit the site at http://www.Recipe4Living.com

Can Feng Shui Help My Karma?

2009-08-29T13:27:00.001-07:00

Feng Shui is about the balance, harmony and attracting specific energies to create positive results.This method of attracting specific energies has been around for what is believed to go as far back as 3500 years.The Chinese believe that first comes destiny, secondly luck, then Feng Shui.So, if first comes destiny then we would be wise to use Feng Shui to help change our luck.When we make changes in our lives, it also changes the Karma that follows.

Karma, can be linked through our family generations, our past lives and how we lived this life in our earlier years.How we change our karma is directly linked to how we live or change our lives now, how open we are to love and how we intentionally create goodness within our lives.The goodness we put out is the goodness we attract through intentional change within us, as well as within our environment.

Heart felt and meaningful intention to bring on positive results that is not selfish or harmful to others, brings on good Karma, thus changing the negativity that has been created in our past.It is not something that can be changed over night, but over a period of time. Changes need time to be lived, to be committed to, to be felt and to be believed by the person wishing to make the changes.Once we change our lives for the better, our fate or Karma also changes for the better.

The longer we strive for goodness, kindness and balance, the more that will come back to us through the cosmic pull of our intention and balance in our lives and environment.

For example, if it is romantic love we wish to attract, then we need to open our hearts to love.

In the southwest sector of our environment, Feng Shui teaches us to work on this sector of our home to attract this energy.Also, the southwest sector of ones bedroom would also be suggested.Along with that, we include items in those sectors that are suggestive or symbolic of true romantic love between two people, pairs of decorative and symbolic items along with hints of red for passion.

To receive love, one needs to give love.We also need to love and accept ourselves before we can expect someone else to love us.We need to consciously live our lives with love.Make the choice to look for opportunities where you can begin to change your karma with simple acts of kindness, stay committed to change and watch the karmic effect this will have on your life!

You will be amazed at the goodness that will begin to follow you.

"Karma is a wonderful teacher when we have the courage to look close enough to learn the lesson."

2007 Silvana Rosati-Capizzano

Silvana is a well respected Interior Decorator, International Feng Shui Expert and the Principal of the Award Winning Home & Life Design Firm: Blue Avalon. Along with her years of study in Home Decor and Feng Shui, she has the unique ability of being able create luxurious interiors with balance and optimum energy flow thus creating a beautiful environment of positive energy, balance and harmony.

She also dedicates her time to her Holistic Practise at the Dove Spa providing healing therapies as Reiki, Reflexology, Indian Head Massage and Hopi Ear Coning. She is well respected in this field and certified in Reflexology and a Reiki Master.

Blue Avalon specializes in Interior Decorating, Feng Shui and Abundant Living. Blue Avalon is the publisher of The Blue Avalon Journal; a monthly e-zine packed with ideas, tips and insider secrets! To subscribe, log onto our website today at http://www.blueavalon.com and you will receive a bonus book, The Number One Feng Shui Secret That Will Transform Your Life!

Blue Avalon - "Harmony for your home...Balance for your life http://www.blueavalon.com

Grandparenting and Technology

2009-08-29T09:32:00.001-07:00

Many children grow up and move away from their parents and have children of their own leaving the grand parents to become long-distance grandparents. Grand parenting long-distance can be a struggle at first but as you become more agreeable with the idea of bonding with your grandchildren through other means, it will become easier on both you and the grandchildren. Best of all, the experience can still be absolutely wonderful.

With today's technology grandparents can video conference with their grandchildren, asking them how their day was, who they play with and what is going on in their lives - where in the old days it was a letter once a week that took another week to return. There are also instant photographs through the Internet so that grandma or grandpa can see exactly how big their grandchildren are growing on a daily basis. Even small children can benefit from videoconferencing with grandma and grandpa, that way when they come to visit, the child will know who they are and remember them from the videoconferencing. Videoconferencing over the internet is practically free - with just minimal equipment costs.

It's important for grandparents to have a bond with their grandchildren early on especially when they live far away from one another. The exchanging of pictures through the Internet, e-mails and phone calls all help to strengthen the bonds of grandparents and grandchildren. As the children get older they will be able to e-mail or make phone calls on their own to their grandparents.

A parent doesn't have to get a child their own computer or cell phone in order to allow them to keep them in touch with their grandparents. The family computer or the regular phone will do for all the children. Yet, a few basic pieces of computer equipment like: an internet connected PC and a basic web camera on the part of the grandparents and the kids will keep everyone seamlessly in touch.

Brad Percival is a consultant, author and family trends expert. He recommends this great site for grandparenting information as it has helped countless grandparents understand their roles in our modern society. Percival blogs regularly at the Bigger Buzz.

Love by Leo Buscaglia

2009-08-29T05:37:00.001-07:00

"To cheat oneself out of love is the most terrible deception; it is an eternal loss for which there is no reparation, either in time or in eternity." - Kierkegaard

This is a book simply about LOVE. "A learned phenomenon".

It is not deeply philosophical nor complicated. It is a simple, easy read that is intended to be shared not just in words, but in actions. It is about daring to expose oneself. To be vulnerable and to give without reservation or expectation.

I picked up this book in January 1984 and carried it and read it over and over through the years. It brought me great joy and great hope during a time where I was young and feeling rebellious, invincible and strong. At 22, I felt as though this was the greatest book I had ever read. It was the right time in my life for me to explore, to learn and understand what love meant to me. While, as far as I know, it never won any awards, I loved it then and I still love it now with it's yellowed and curled pages.

Now about Karma; although he does not use that word in the book, he does discuss the way love gives back when we kindly give to others. How what we do in this world will be mirrored back to us.

Leo was a University professor by profession. He had an idea for a new class to add to the curriculum. He wanted to introduce a university class on "LOVE". When he pitched his idea to the dean, and with much discussion it was accepted, (after much criticism), but only if he did it on his own time, without load credit and without a salary. The idea seemed ridiculous to the other professors. He ignored the ridiculing and forged ahead with this great idea. The idea was not embraced by many students but slowly and steadily, enrollment increased. It had to be eventually capped at 100 students.

These were students of all ages interested in "Love Class". They shared ideas, feeling and observations that was relevant to the human condition. Although they were never really able to define love, one student did come up with a wonderful explanation:

"I find love much like a mirror. When I love another, he becomes my mirror and I become his, and reflection in each other's love we see infinity!"

There are those that dismiss love as a nave romantic concept while others find love all encompassing and the greatest, deepest feeling that is meant to be given away.

Have a read and you decide.

I loved this book.

2007 Silvana Rosati-Capizzano

Silvana also devotes her time to Holistic Practise at the Dove Spa, Canada. She is a well respected Reiki Master and Certified in Reflexology. Her passion for Universal Life Force, Holistic Therapy and Feng Shui encompasses various forms of positive living through energy in the environment, mind, body and spirit.

Blue Avalon - "Harmony for your home...Balance for your life http://www.blueavalon.com

Grandparenting and Technology

2009-08-29T01:44:00.001-07:00

Transcendental Meditation

2009-08-28T21:52:00.001-07:00

Transcendental meditation is a movement founded by Maharishi (Maharishi Mahesh Yogi) in 1957. It started with an organization named Spiritual Regeneration Movement. Maharishi aimed to establish a teaching center of transcendental meditation for every million people of the world's population.

The whole process takes fifteen to twenty minutes everyday. During the meditation, the person focuses his or her mind on a simple statement that is called a mantra. The ultimate goal, as practitioners say, is to achieve pure consciousness. The exact procedures of transcendental meditation cannot be simply learned by reading available materials. They have to be taught by a transcendental meditation expert.

However, there have been studies that say transcendental meditation has negative effects. A scientist in an American institute said that the whole process of such meditation could be hazardous to the mental health of a certain person. The weight of the impact depends on how long the person has been practicing transcendental meditation.

Transcendental meditation has also been criticized because of the exorbitant fees that go with learning them. As of the year 2000, fees have been reported to reach as much as $2,500. Other critics even point that the fee does not make sense because the founder, Maharishi, even stated that such meditation is a birthright.

Aside from these, transcendental meditation also earned the ire of a number of people because of its strict policies, particularly those that relate to building structures. Maharishi declared that all buildings should be constructed based on an Indian philosophy that can be compared to Feng Shui. In this belief, the main entrance of the structure must face the east and the rooms should be arranged in a circular fashion. The rooms should revolve around a central area called the seat of divinity. Because of their strict adherence to this belief, there was even a time when a Catholic church situated in a Maharishian university was demolished because it did not abide by the rules of this Indian philosophy.

While there may be criticisms on the practice of transcendental meditation, there have also been studies that say the process is helpful in improving blood flow. In the end, the decision to practice transcendental meditation, or any kind of meditation for that matter, still lies on the convictions of an individual.

Meditation provides detailed information on Meditation, Meditation Techniques, Transcendental Meditation, Guided Meditation and more. Meditation is affiliated with Tai Chi Videos.

Feng Shui For Troubled Times

2009-08-28T18:01:00.001-07:00

A Guide to Choosing Sports Drinks

2009-08-28T14:10:00.001-07:00

We are all aware of the importance of hydration when it comes to sport and improving performance. Exercise scientists and dieticians have invested extensive research into this area. Sports drinks are designed to provide both fluid and carbohydrate that is readily absorbed from the small intestine.

Sports drinks typically contain carbohydrates, electrolytes, flavour and other ingredients.

Carbohydrates provide fuel for the muscles. When carbohydrate is present in the sports drink at a concentration below 8%, it is rapidly absorbed by the body. If the concentration is greater than 8%, water absorption is slowed. Carbohydrates may be added to sports drinks in glucose, glucose polymer, sucrose or fructose form.

Sodium, potassium and sometimes magnesium are added to sports drinks and are referred to as electrolytes. The addition of sodium is said to stimulate the absorption of carbohydrates and water from the small intestine. Most sports drinks contain 10-25mmol/L of sodium which makes you thirstier to encourage you to drink more.

Most athletes only replace half the fluid they lose during sport, so it's important that sports drinks are tasty to encourage the athlete to drink more.

Some manufacturers of sports drinks also add vitamins, minerals, protein, herbs and sometimes even caffeine. Be wary of big promises.

The best sports drink for you depends on your personal preference. Most manufacturers tend to follow the basic formula, so it really comes down to taste. The more you like the taste of your sports drink, the more you will drink and the more you will replace important fluids.

For more information about sports drinks and to compare sports drinks available in Australia visit http://www.healthycomparisons.com.au/Sports_Drinks.aspx

Kristy Lee 2008. You are welcome to reproduce this article as long as URLs are active and no changes are made to the text.

Stay Organized With Potting Benches

2009-08-28T10:15:00.001-07:00

Gardeners sometimes have a difficult time trying to keep all of the material and tools they use organized. They find themselves spending time sorting through their things to find the hand rake or the right pot. Sometimes they even forget items in their garden and then can't find when they need it again. If this has happened to you on more than one occasion, then there's a good possibility that you need the services that potting benches provide.

Potting benches provide the serious gardener with shelves and hooks so that you can store all the pots, bags of soil, and small hand tools in one organized place. By hanging your small tools on the hooks that are located on the sides of your potting bench, they are easily in reach, but not in the road or in danger of getting left out in the elements accidentally. The shelves will allow you to store than many sized pots you use stacked neatly where they can be found without having to tear the shed apart. The same can be said for your potting soil and loam. Potting benches are extremely hand in keeping you organized at all times.

Individuals who garden can attest to the wear and tear on their lower back and knees. A Potting bench can alleviate the need of having to kneel for long periods of time, sometimes painfully if you have arthritis in your joints. You can stand or even sit as you work. You will find that gardening is much more enjoyable when you do not have to try to crawl to get a tool you left a few feet away or struggle to stand to get more soil when your joints have stiffened. Potting benches will help you keep fatigue at bay and you will be able to enjoy working with the soil once again.

Potting benches can even come with locking caster wheels so that you can move it into position where you need it. If you have a garden path that it will roll on, you will be to work in the area of the garden that needs replanting without having to run back and forth to get tools or go looking for another pot. Everything is there at your fingertips. Plus, if your potting bench should happen to be made of cedar, you can leave it under an overhang and not worry about it getting ruined if you are a suddenly caught in a rain storm. Cedar is very strong and weather resistant wood that can easily be stored anywhere no matter what time of year it is.

While you can purchase potting benches in just about any material, but wood benches match your outdoor wooden furniture and cedar one especially last for a long time. Using potting benches will save you hours of work and they will save your knees. If you enjoy wood craft, you can find a plethora of simple potting bench plans online for free. And that's definitely worth saving your knees.

Simon Douglass, an author, is a collector of outdoor furniture. Most of his writings are about potting benches for Adams All Natural Cedar. He has always loved writing, and now that he is older, he has grown an interest in collecting wood planters and spending time in his garden.

Astrology, Feng Shui, Magic Spells - And Selling Homes

2009-08-28T06:22:00.001-07:00

As someone in the real estate industry, I'm always eager to find out more about buying and selling strategies. However, I'm not sure what to think about using astrology to sell a home. Or Feng Shui. Or magic spells. There are a lot of people more than happy to take your money in exchange for your magic number, star alignment, or real estate amulet, though.

Astrology has been used to divine the future since before the Common Era. Many people today view it as a harmless amusement. Move.com even has a section for "homestrology" profiles. Realty Times did an article entitled, "Look to the Stars for Decorating Advice", featuring astrologer John Marchesella, who claims that knowing your Sun Sign can help you choose colors for your home.

In some cases, astrology becomes serious business, spawning websites like realestateastrology.com that sells subscriptions for astrology questions, natal charts, and business outlooks. These cost between $25 to $50 a month. Some astrologers promise results if you buy a personal profile from them, ranging from 19.95 to hundreds of dollars. One website promised that my problems selling a home stemmed from not having my home in proper alignment with the stars. For only 39.95, I could get a astrological profile that would improve my real estate transactions. Some Realtors even claim that they use astrology to sell homes.

Magic spells aren't just for Mickey Mouse in "Fantasia" any more. Some people believe that they can help you sell your house. One spell requires allspice, myrrh and benzoin. If Eastern magic appeals to you more, there's a site that sells Chinese Prosperity Oil at the bargain price of 39.95. Apparently you can anoint the doorstep with it or burn it for a pleasing 'buy-me' scent.

Another route is to bury a statue of St. Joseph somewhere in the lawn. St. Joseph, one-time husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus, is also the patron saint of real estate sales. One site selling St. Joseph statues intimates that you can sell your house faster if you buy the bigger statue size. One wonders why it is necessary to deep-six an effigy of a saint in order for him to take notice of your house selling woes, but there is no explanation forthcoming from history aside from anecdotes.

Feng shui is a Chinese practice rooted in ancient times. Basically, the idea is arranging objects in one's life to attract positive energy. However, feng shui also attracts money from people who believe that this practice can help them sell homes. 19.95 buys one information about their element at one website. One feng shui consultant who works in real estate charges $150. An hour. On the plus side, feng shui does encourage people to pay attention to their color scheme and the placement of furniture in the home.

The principles of feng shui may actually work in real estate simply because they encourage people to arrange their house in an uncluttered fashion, with an eye for pleasing colors. Magic spells and astrology, though... are these people genuine, or are they simply taking peoples' money? The truth is that the efficacy of such things has never been proven. It's one thing to look at your horoscope for fun; another to hand someone hundreds or thousands of dollars, only to be told that your house didn't sell because the stars weren't aligned properly.

In the end, I would urge you to put your faith in a Realtor, whose 'magic' you can rely on.

PorchLight Real Estate Group combines local market knowledge with cutting edge marketing skills. For more information on Denver CO real estate or to do a search for West Highlands real estate, visit us online at PorchLightGroup.com.

Antique Mirrors Make Historically Elegant Home Decor

2009-08-28T02:29:00.001-07:00

And beyond the authentic mirroring itself, the exquisite detail and hand carving of antique mirror frames are also quite attractive.

Antique Mirrors Offer Historical Elegance

From one form to another, mirrors have been used in the home for practical reasons and for decorating for many centuries. In the earliest days of their existence-thousands of years ago-mirrors were created by polishing metals and other naturally occurring substances to a nicely reflective sheen.

As mirrors evolved over the centuries, glass became a common component, while the mirror reflection itself was created from specially formulated coatings. Believe it or not, at one point in history, mercury was actually used to create the mirroring. Don't worry though-more recent antique mirrors switched to a much safer silvering process. Today, most mirrors are created from a combination of glass substrate and aluminum.

While the methods of actually creating the mirror surface have changed over history, they still serve the same timeless purpose as they did a hundred years ago. The thing is today, the historical look of antique mirrors is so desirable, but the chipping, fading, and unevenness of vintage mirror glass is not always quite as popular with modern homeowners. Thankfully there are solutions to this dilemma - highly detailed and accurate reproductions of antique mirrors and frames offer the look of an era bygone without looking overly grungy or decrepit.

Home Dcor And Antique Mirrors Go Hand In Hand

Antique mirrors that blend brand new mirror glass with actual antique frames or quality reproduction wooden frames are becoming increasingly popular in home dcor. Because mirrors so efficiently duplicate the light and reflections of their surroundings, they are just a perfect way to make almost any room of the house much bigger and brighter. In fact, many have effectively used mirrors as dcor to make a room seem twice the size it really is-it really works!

Of course, if you're decorating an older home, or a home furnished with quality antique furniture pieces throughout, it only makes sense that antique mirrors (instead of modern looking mirrors found at the discount stores) will fit in nicely with the dcor and theme of your home. And if you so choose, custom reproduction vintage mirrors can even be created to show a little of the "distressing" that's all the rage these days.

Whether choosing true antiques or finely crafted reproduction antique mirrors, using the mirrors as dcor is certain to be a superb choice for those seeking to restore the gilded glory of a beautiful old home, as well as for those just looking to bring a little of the cherished past to modern decorating. Antique mirrors really do make historically elegant home dcor!

For more information about antique mirrors visit: http://www.customglasssigns.com

Creating Prosperity, Energy, Health and Fame As Well As Much, Much More Using Feng Shui - Part 2

2009-08-27T22:33:00.001-07:00

If you do not have the time to conduct your own feng shui analysis and you would rather have a feng shui master do it for you that's fine. You need to find an expert and that in itself will be a very difficult task because you can't possibly be shown everything this person knows with just one consultation.

Let's talk about house shapes and how they may be regarded as lucky or unlucky. Irregular shaped homes can give rise to missing corners and that will definitely create problems of some sort. This all depends on what actual corner is missing. You will have to figure this out by dividing your home layout into nine grids and then identifying the compass direction that is missing. A great way to fix this problem is by wall mirrors or placing lights on the outside to use as an extension of the wall. The best fix would be to add an additional room.

Did you know that square shaped houses are certainly the best? This shape will give you the best when it comes to feng shui. The reason it works best is because this shape lends itself based on the compass. Square houses offer stable and firm foundation. Here is another thing you may have not known: Round shaped houses may mean money luck. There is a downside to this and that is that these houses or buildings may become too strong and it may actually overwhelm the residents. A bank would be a good example of a round structure.

Living at a dead end will only rot chi in that location and if there are ever problems, there will be no way out of them. The one way you can fix this problem, the one way you can fix living in a cul-de-sac would be to keep lights on behind the home during the night and have lights on at the gate because this will keep bad chi from coming into your home. Another thing to keep in mind is that you should make sure that your home isn't squished between two taller buildings because this will keep you from the good 'fortune' wind.

Now about the neighborhood you need to look for prosperity signs. If the gardens look good, the houses are well taken care of, and the streets are clean then you should be able to feel the air of prosperity!

Veronica Zambrano

http://ezvzmr168fengshui.blogspot.com/

http://www.ezvzmr168.blogspot.com/

Expanding Your Organization Through PR, Advertising, and Branding

2009-08-27T21:39:00.001-07:00

There's a saying among marketers that a buyer needs a hundred eyes, the seller only one. But as brands multiply and customers become more selective, the seller needs to get smarter.

I've helped a number of organizations gain brand recognition in a crowded marketplace. From that experience I can give the following advice.

Tall oaks from acorns grow: Launching a successful PR campaign
Popularity doesn't come easily, but if you want customers to invest in your product or service, you have to build a credible reputation with the public.

A small startup technology company isn't likely to be an overnight success by shoveling thousands of dollars into an advertising campaign, nor is a mid-level organization going to overthrow its competition by doing the same. Just as David beat Goliath with a small stone, successful underdogs overcome their adversaries the smart way: by launching a cost-effective public relations (PR) campaign.

Public relations delivers major advantages to growing organizations by building a positive reputation with the public. Unlike advertisements, which cost thousands, a news feature about your organization gives it free and instant credibility with readers. For instance, a small barbecue shack in rural Ohio becomes an overnight sensation when a national magazine hails it as "The Best Ribs in the Midwest," while investors suddenly pour millions into a recent invention featured in the New York Times as "The Most Innovative Technology since the CPU." Such is the subtle yet cathartic means through which legends are bought, not with dollars, but with words.

In many ways, public relations isn't much different from advertising. But because the public knows that an advertisement is a direct attempt to manipulate it into buying your product or service, it's not likely to respond unless your organization is already well known.

To be effective, a public relations campaign must be continuous and long term. You must know skilled PR professionals with contacts in the media who can pitch stories about your organization to reporters on a weekly to monthly basis. Otherwise, you can have a great deal of difficulty receiving coverage.

A good pitch to the media might be an innovative product your business has just unveiled, an event your organization is sponsoring, or ways your company is contributing to the community and helping to solve a known crisis like global warming. But whatever topic you decide to pitch, it has to be new and different - the perfect ingredients for creating buzz about your organization.

A successful public relations campaign is a great way to pit your business against more popular brands that have a lot to lose from newer, more innovative competitors. But if you happen to be one of the popular goliaths, a public relations campaign won't be enough to maintain your popularity among customers.

When tall oaks are grown: Maintaining popularity through advertising
While advertising is viewed by customers as a deliberate attempt to persuade them to spend their money, an ad campaign allows you to stay ahead of competitors by creating mainstream awareness about your organization.

Take Coca-Cola, Starbucks, and Amazon, as examples. Despite growing circles of competitors, these companies have consistently remained some of the most popular brands in their industries by building sophisticated advertising campaigns that have convinced consumers their services and products are unrivaled. Often emulated but never equaled, they've become industry standards, seeping deeper and deeper into mainstream culture.

Keep in mind that advertising, while costly, has many advantages. Unlike a public relations campaign, which is generally aimed at a broader audience, an ad campaign gives you almost total control over the perceptions of your audience and allows you to direct your message specifically to that audience. Advertising is usually only successful once your popularity has been successfully built through a public relations campaign, as the goal of advertising isn't to become well known, but to stay well known.

There are several ways to create a cost-effective advertising campaign. Many magazines and newspapers will negotiate standard ad rates for first-time buyers since they're competing with other publications for your business and want to develop a long-term relationship with you. Also, you can save big on long-term contracts with particular publications because prices go down with frequency. In other words, a one-time ad that costs $3,000 may cost only $2,500 to publish each month in a certain publication of a period of several months. Frequency campaigns are recommended anyway because they are more effective at building public awareness than one-time ads. Also, since the goal of an ad campaign is simply to increase awareness about your organization, product, or service, don't be disappointed if the first ad campaign you run doesn't rake in sales. Ad campaigns take time to result in huge profit increases, but, as companies like McDonalds and Nike have seen, the investment is well worth the wait.

When tall oaks multiply: Expanding your organization through branding
By identifying and anticipating the needs and interests of your customers, you can create a brand experience that can be expressed in ways they'll understand and remember.

Express your brand throughout all aspects of your communications, be it public relations, advertising, or any other outlet. Doing so will provide customers with the feeling they are part of a singular, irreplaceable community.

Take Harley Davidson as an example: a business that has built its entire brand around the concept of non-conformity. The grit-and-leather persona conveyed through its logo on a helmet or jacket is priceless to many a biker. That's because Harley Davidson isn't just a motorcycle manufacturer - it's a unique culture embraced throughout all facets of the organization, which its customers internalize as a part of their own identities. If the company treated its clientele as anything less than fearless road warriors - be they Hell's Angels or Wall Street executives - it wouldn't be the most coveted motorcycle dealer on the world's highways.

An eye-catching logo, memorable tag line, interactive website, or fun store design are just some of the ways your brand can shape customer experience. The important thing to remember is that no matter how you choose to express your brand, it must be done in a way that is consistent throughout all channels of your communications campaign.

Julie Compton is a copywriter, technical writer, and former project manager. She is the author of http://www.freelancewriternyc.com.