Don't Let This Happen to You - Home Computer Electrical Damage

If you've read any of my other articles, you know that I am always coming up with great ideas, tips and even a couple of stories that can save homeowners lots of money. Here's another one of those stories, that involves a friend of mine who asked me if I could fix his outdoor electrical outlet.

I was over at his house one day, and told him that I could probably fix the electrical outlet and if we needed any parts, we could run down to the lumber yard and pick them up and his problem would be solved within a few hours. This two hour repair was about to cost him the hard drive on his computer, but neither one of us had any idea what was about to happen.

We each agreed to give it a shot, I told him to go over to the electrical panel and turn off the breaker that went to his outdoor shed. He proceeded to turn off the breaker and yelled out," It's off, try it." I plugged in an electric drill and it was still working, as he was walking around the corner, towards me, I showed him that the drill was still on and he hadn't turned off the right electrical breaker.

He went back and turned off a couple of more electrical breakers and the drill was still running. Now he frantically started to turn off one electrical breaker at a time, until I yelled out," It's off, the electrical power is, off you can stop."

I repaired the electrical outlet and he went back to turn every electrical breaker back on that he had turned off. We were proud of ourselves and he now had electrical power, back to his shed and he was happy.

Now for the bad news, his computer was running and when he turned the electricity off and on, it must've done something to his computer hard drive and it now needed to be replaced.

The moral to the story, isn't that you shouldn't help your friends. It's that you should, make sure that your computers are safely off, before you attempt to do any electrical work to your home.

It wouldn't be a bad idea, to have a battery backup, for your computer, if you use it often, just in case there is an electrical failure or something happens like the story above.

If your really interested in saving money on your home electrical bills - Energy Saving Books

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 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.

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

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

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.

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.

Take Pictures of Your Growing Foundation Damage Or Cracks

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.

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

Do I Need a Home Inspection? - Real Estate Advice

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.

Plywood Roof Sheeting - Roof Framing Trade Secrets

Most framing contractor's look at the building plans and order all of the material, according to those that are specified on the plans. This works out fine, and can often save you money, but rarely produces the best home that you could possibly frame.

As a professional framing contractor, I would like to share one of my house framing tips with you. Most plans require half-inch plywood or oriented strand board as their roof sheeting. This product is fine and if you're building a lot of homes, you're not going to have the choice. Ordering larger sized plywood could cost you thousands of dollars, especially if you're building a lot of homes.

However, if your framing or building a home for someone or even yourself, you might want to take my advice and think twice about it, before ordering the roof sheeting. Half-inch plywood, works okay for 16 inch on center roof rafters or engineered truss roofing systems. It doesn't work well on 24 inch on center roof rafters spacing.

It is usually flimsy and weak at the center point, directly in between the 24 inch roof rafter bays. If you're going to use the half-inch plywood, I would recommend using plywood clips that are relatively inexpensive and can be placed in the direct center of each roof rafter bay on each sheet of plywood. These can be purchased at most home improvement centers or lumber yards.

The other alternative, and this is what I recommend, would be to use 5/8 inch plywood. This plywood works great for 24 inch on center roof rafters and you will have a nice sturdy roof to walk on, while roofing your home.

I have actually seen people step through the flimsy plywood, while lifting heavy roof tiles and bundles of composition roof shingles. Experienced roofers try to walk directly on top of the roof rafters, when loading their roof shingles or even carrying them on the roof.

If you're a home builder and your concern is about making a profit, you will need to use the half-inch plywood. If you want to build a superior roof, use the 5/8 of an inch plywood.

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

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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 excellent home inspection checklist to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

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Subfloor Damage From Poor Bathtub Installation - Read Bath Tub Fixture Manuals

You should never under estimate the amount of damage that water can do to your wood subfloor. Especially if this wood is underneath your bathtub. If the bathtub is not installed properly, you could find yourself replacing the wood underneath, within a short period of time. This repair is not uncommon and as more homeowners and handyman seemed to be doing projects like these, without the proper experience, it's becoming even more common.

I wish I had a solution to the problem, however, I don't. The best advice I could give anyone who is going to be involved in any home remodeling project, would be to get some books on what ever task you are about to undertake and read all of the information that you possibly can about the products you are going to be installing. This is extremely helpful for anyone who has never installed a bathtub or any bathtub fixtures.

If the product fails and was installed properly, the manufacturer should be responsible for the water damage. I have been reading the manufacturer's installation manuals for quite some time now and every once in a while, I find something that is of great value to me and I get to pass it on to my readers. That's what I'm doing right now.

Whether you want to remodel your bathroom to save money or you want to accomplish a task that you haven't done yet. I would recommend, taking the time to understand, exactly how the water flows off of and on to another section of the bath tub or shower on its way to the drain. Understanding the basics of bathroom remodeling can save you big money in the future.

Save yourself some money and make sure that you install your bathtubs properly. Taking a little time before you start to read the bath tub fixture manuals, can save you some money and grief in the future.

Find More Facts On Home Water Damage.

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.

Check out These Amazing Home Damage Videos.

Five Things That a Termite Inspection Company Might Not Ever Say

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

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.

Thanks For Reading My Articles

What If My Contractor Does Not Return My Call

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.

Three Simple Steps to Beginning Inner Calm

As one of todays professional women, you face ever-increasing demands on your time. This demand creates stress and fatigue. It not only wears you out and makes you feel badly, but also ages you faster than you might like. Fortunately there are some strategies you can employ to regain the balance that you desperately need to support your complete well-being.

So what can you do? All three of the following strategies have been proven successful and, in combination, are incredibly powerful catalysts towards finding a perfect balance between work, home, and other demands.

One: Create Silence Set aside small windows of time in your day to meditate or enjoy complete silence.

Two: Release Worry Find strategies and tools to release those things that are creating stress.

Three: Build Support Create a support network of people who understand, who you support and who can be depended on when times get tough. Begin by supporting others and you will find that it comes back to you if you allow it.

Beginning your journey towards balance

The strategies listed above are best tackled in the order listed but are beneficial regardless of how many you accomplish or the order in which you try them.

The simple enjoyment of silence, or meditation, is a wonderful first step toward healing your mind. This practice will allow your mind to begin to build new networks of thought and new, stronger, more supportive perspectives. Just as its been proven that an athletes muscles need periods of rest to allow peak performance, our minds also need periods of complete silence (or rest), in order to allow optimal functioning.

Quieting the mind can be quite challenging for anyone who spends the vast majority of her time strategizing, thinking, planning and contemplating. Sometimes complete silence is overwhelming and the mind begins to race, so if you find that this happens, try a 5-minute guided meditation or listening to the sounds of nature (water is always good) as a first step in learning to rest your mind. Choose what feels best, and if you dont know where to begin, then guided meditation, which can be found on tape, CD or even downloaded on the web, can be the perfect solution.

The second phase of beginning a life of balance can be accomplished with a mind that is open to trying out new perspectives. There are lots of ways to make new choices about those things that create stress in our lives. Simple shifts in perspective can be accomplished by simply asking, Am I creating the stress? Might I be adding to the stress? Or can I choose to let this go and release the stress? If the answer to even one of these questions is maybe or yes, then the next step is to dig a bit deeper.

Knowledge is a powerful thing and when you realize that its not you, but rather your repeating patterns of thinking that are causing you additional stress, you are well on your way to finding new perspectives and solutions. I recommend reading books like Wayne Dyers, Theres a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem, while you work with a coach who specializes in empowering and forward movement. Or simply read and do some introspection to begin. Just knowing that you are larger than your worries and separate from them is a giant step towards knowing that you can overcome them.

The third phase has to do with building a network of supportive friends and colleagues. This isnt work or magic or even a chore, this is about giving and receiving. As people, we dont realize how much impact we have on the world around us. You may be a giver and yet argue that you never receive. Or you may be someone who receives but rarely gives. The universal force behind those times when giving and receiving dont match up is our resistance to one or the other. If you feel as though you always give, but never receive, I challenge you to look at all the times you turned down help that was offered. Begin accepting the helping hand and life will balance itself out.

I am a firm believer that we were placed here to help each other and I have found over the years, that when I need a special support person to show up in my life, that person always shows up. Begin to notice who shows up for you, and I bet you will find that a network is ready to form right before your very eyes. You simply need to be watching so that you dont miss it. We all need a little support sometime, and on a day that youve tried everything else and life still feels too demanding, a supportive friend will hold you up while you regain the strength to tackle it.

To immediately lessen the stress in your life:

meditate or enjoy silence just quiet your mind

release those things that are creating stress

build a support network (be a support partner for others and accept their help in return)

Youll find yourself in a better place almost immediately and you will soon start noticing the balance returning. Expect that life will show up perfectly balanced in the not too distant future, but dont forget to follow this plan for more than a few days. You may even want to keep it as a permanent part of your newly balanced life. It works!

Julie Fisher, complete well-being coach and owner of Sol Journe, LLC, as well as President of Advertising by Design, Inc. provides coaching and mentoring for professional women all over the world. Register for her free e-course and e-coaching at http://womenbalanceworkandhome.abundanceforwomen.com or visit http://www.abundanceforwomen.com for more information.

Contractor In Southern California

So you want to make big money making a living as a contractor in the state of California. Well now I bet you have seen contractors on TV or maybe you know someone who is a contractor. You see these men and women playing the part as Mr. or Mrs. Money bags. If you have the slightest thought that becoming a contractor will provide you with a life of riches think again.

Most contractors that I know and have worked with over the years don't think of there jobs as easy. They have to work everyday and a lot into the night doing estimates or meeting with potential clients because they are to busy during the day. The life of most contractors in the beginning will be difficult to say the least. But if successful you will make a great living for yourself and your family.

Now that we got the false illusion of the contractor answering his cell phone all day at some nice golf course having lunch talking about the money that he just made selling his oil stocks. We can start on reality. If being a contractor was that easy everyone would be a contractor. Right..... Well maybe not everyone.

I have been a contractor for over 22 years and in construction for 30 year. I have seen a lot of changes over the years. I remember when a few contractors that I worked for made a lot of money during the late 1970's. These guys had Ferraris and money to burn with one exception they had no idea how to save any of it. These guys went on vacations and bought extravagant toys for them selves. Out of most of the big framing contractors I worked for about 10 percent are still in business or actually saved their money during the good times so that they could make it through the bad times.

These contractors never thought it was going to end. Life on easy street that is. But it did and most went by the way side. I guess that is the nature of business. Especially the current economic business cycles that we seem to go through over the years. If you don't have the money to advertise or carry a payroll. Your business is going to suffer during the bad times. Sure there is credit and bank loans but you still have to pay that money back. IF you can't save your money stash some away for advertising.

Some of the best advice I can give a contractor anywhere especially in the state of California is " Don't Think The Great Times Of Easy Money Will Last Forever". Save some of the money you make just in case you need to get through the bad times. You will thank me for this latter, Some time down the road. Take this advice and put it into action starting right now.

Greg Vanden Berge has over 30 years of experience in residential home building and remodeling. This provides you with the comfort of knowing that you have a professional with the knowledge and skills to complete your construction projects in a timely manner.

Our low overhead along with our new online estimating system will provide you with the most competitive construction pricing in the area. We continue to educate ourselves about the new home improvement books and building systems in the construction industry. If we have any doubt that something might not work we don't use it. We have found some of these products to be the root of some major home building problems.

Click on the Home Remodeling Ideas to get more information and a possible online estimate for your home improvement project.

Window Header Framing Problems

Mentware - How to Develop a Money Making Mentality

Yes, you can work your own miracles. You can give your life a turn-around. Mentware is where all the money lies. Yes, all the money you need till you depart this world does not depend on the possession of hardware or the accumulation of all kinds of software. It lies on having the right mentware.

Hardware and software can't show you the money but mentware not only shows you the money but it also puts the money in your pocket. It says to you, "Man, you deserve more than this but just keep doing the right thing because you will soon get exactly what you deserve if you don't give up."

Hardware and software can take all your money away from you but mentware brings more and more money to you. Hardware and software can make your credit card, purse or wallet to be lean but mentware makes your credit card, purse or wallet to be fat.

Hardware and software can give you the spirit of selfishness and laziness but mentware gives you the spirit of service and decisive search for solutions to problems.

Great men and women of our times and history might have used hardware and software to showcase their missions and visions but it was mentware that actually brought success to them. Most of them did not even use hardware and software at all because such tools were not in existence when they were on this planet but they never achieved anything without mentware.

It was mentware that showed and brought Christopher Columbus to America. It was mentware in him that discovered America, a land flowing with milk and honey.

It was mentware that helped Martin Luther King Jnr. to see that time will come when all men and women of America will not be judged by the color of their skin. It is mentware that has made that tall dream to become a reality today and we can all say now, "Yes, we can!"

Raymond Edeh is an expert writer in a variety of topics. He writes high quality reviews for high demand products. Visit Raymond's site at http://www.flyarticles.com for your ghostwriting services.

Benefits of DIY Wireless Home Security

A DIY wireless home security system is the type of home security system that does not require wires and cables to work. This type of system offers a lot of benefits. All you need is time and a little elbow grease and you'll have 24-hour protection from burglaries, break-ins and vandalisms.

Benefits:

1. Saves you a lot of money

This can save you a lot of money because you will not need to hire a professional to perform the installation for you. Most of the time, some companies will jack up the prices of the equipment. So if you purchase your own materials, you can decide for yourself how much you will pay for them.

2. You will know how everything works

When you decide to get a DIY wireless home security system, you will install it yourself. Since you are doing the installation, you will get to know the system intimately. You will have to read the instructions before installation and that will help you figure out the ins and outs of the system.

3. Only you and your family know the design of the security system

Hiring a professional team to design and install the security system will render your system vulnerable to them. If you install the system yourself, only you and other residents in your household will know how the system is designed. This reduces the number of people who can disable the system.

4. Easy to install

The instructions of DIY security systems are relatively simple. And if you opt for the wireless version, this will make your job a whole lot easier. You don't have to deal with tangled wires and the problem of concealing them.

5. Safety for your home and all your family members

Wireless systems are more difficult to spot. So if you do end up with burglars, they will not be able to find the system so they can disable it. If motion sensors are visible, then they can figure out a way to work around them.

Discover more about wireless home security. Get free tips, advise and useful information on DIY wireless home security.

Simple Light Switch Replacement

Keeping Grandparents Involved Across the Miles

Many miles separate some grandparents and grandchildren. Having grandparents involved in a child's life is very important. Grandparents can teach children about their family history, spoil them, and love them unconditionally. After all, the more people who love a child the better.

With a little imagination and time, grandparents who don't live close by can still maintain a close relationship with their grandchildren. Here are some ways to keep in touch with those far away grandparents:

Send lots of photos, videos, drawings and craftwork so grandparents can keep up with milestones in their grandchildren's lives. With the technology today, it is even easier to email pictures. You can even use of a fax machine or scanner to send just-completed artwork to grandparents. Many grandparents are "hip" with Internet skills nowadays, but if there not send them the old-fashioned way.

Ask grandparents to tape-record or videotape themselves reading a bedtime story, singing a lullaby or telling a funny, well-loved family story. Children will love to listen to the story again and again.

Plan regular phone conversations, especially if you have very young children. Try and plan them for the same day and time each week so children have something to look forward to. Talk with your child ahead of time to give them some ideas of interesting things to tell their grandparents when the call arrives.

Grandparents can send a "goodie" package once a month with letters, inexpensive toys, photographs or anything that lets the grandchildren know they are loved. It gives the kids something to look forward to.

Suggest that grandparents work on a scrapbook or memory book, including stories they want to tell their grandchildren, pictures from their own childhoods and favorite family traditions.

Let your kids work on a scrapbook for their grandparents, perhaps as a holiday or birthday gift; this can include photos, artwork and even journal entries if the children are old enough.

Inform grandparents regularly about the activities, hobbies, likes and dislikes of their grandchildren; this will stimulate communication, as well as help them choose appropriate gifts.

At holiday times, ask grandparents to suggest special holiday traditions or provide recipes from their family or ethnic backgrounds. Even if they can't be there to share in the activity they suggest, it's one way to get children talking about their family history. Maybe even grandma could mail some of her home-baked goodies to the kids.

Invest in a web camera for your computer so children can see and talk to grandparents often. This is a great thing to have during birthday parties and holidays so grandparents can see first hand what is going on. It's the next best thing to them being there.

When grandparents visit make the most of that time. Invite grandparents to visit your child's school, maybe even have lunch with them if possible if the child is in school during the visit. Plan some special outings for the grandparents and grandchildren so they can spend time together.

Find helpful and creative ideas for parents and grandparents while you shop our great selection of kids furniture (including our popular toddler beds and cots) and classic toys. Visit http://www.TheMagicalRockingHorse.com today!

Log Cabin Vinyl Siding

This article talks in grat depths about the advantages of vinyl over normal wood. It talks about the fact that it looks just as good, but is cheap, has low maintenance and is eco-fiendly.If thought of building a log cabin siding but never took it seriously because of heavy work load and cost then you no longer have any excuses.

Making a log cabin from actual wood will not only prove to be very costly, but it will also have an adverse effect on the environment. Today the world has reached an advanced stage of deforestation. Therefore, we must do our bit to save the planet. Understandably, log wood houses have a very rustic look. With the advent of log cabin vinyl siding, this rustic look can be maintained while the installation and maintenance of the log cabin vinyl siding is cheap and it is artificially made out of vinyl (a chemical), therefore it is eco-friendly since it doesnt involve cutting down tree.

Advantage Log Cabin Vinyl Siding

Besides simply looking authentic, there are a lot benefits that come with log cabin vinyl siding. It also provides many saving opportunities, both fiscally and physically. Vinyl siding is practically maintenance free and does not require insect preventing, staining, and sealing as well as any type of refinishing.

Vinyl log siding is one of the best methods of weatherproofing your structure as it provides complete protection from all types of climates.

Vinyl log siding is 100% man-made but still retains the look of natural wood. Log cabin vinyl siding is certainly cheaper than using full-logs because it's mass-produced. AS it can be easily installed Cost of labor is cheaper.

Parkers Midwest Distributing at www.vinyllogsiding.com offers a wide variety of log cabin vinyl sidings. They come in many different shades, and look almost natural. Whats more is that it doesnt need much maintenance. There will be no holes caused by pests. There will be no termite infestations or beds of fungi on this artificial replica of the real world wood.

An Eco-Friendly Way of Siding

Resource Materials Corp at www.resourcematerialscorp.com offers yet another wide range of log cabin vinyl siding products. They specialize in heat treatment technologies. Once you install their log cabin vinyl siding, you will realize that the amount of heat dissipated into the atmosphere reduces in winter and increases in summer. In short, winters will be warm and summers will be cool

Sisson Log Homes at www.sissonloghomes.com

Sisson Log Homes is renowned for bringing excellently crafted log cabin vinyl sidings complete with the accompanying accessories and fitting should you choose.

In summary, log cabin vinyl sidings are cheaper than their wooden counterparts, are more resistant to moth attacks, are available in all shades, fit perfectly into one another, are eco friendly and require way less maintenance.

You can also find more info on harsh weather conditions and siding products. Homesidingreview.com is a comprehensive resource to know more about home siding review.

Bathroom Remodeling Problems

What Type of Appetizers Are There?

Appetizers are small biting of foods served before or in between a main course.

Usually making of any appetizer varies on the need of the occasion, the time you are wiling to devote. When deciding which appetizers to serve prior or between a meal. You should have your meal menu ready, so as to choose foods which blend well, but differ on flavour and taste.

There are many such different types of appetizers to choose from

Cold appetizers - these are made by combining different spreads onto crackers. Or by adding different vegetable stuffing's in pita's, breads etc. Almost instant to make and with a few hours of refrigeration, they are ready to be served.

Hot Appetizers - these warm tempting morsels are enjoyed by one and all. You can savour a large variety from lightly spiced vegetable kebabs, to cheesy tarts, steamed fritters and fried and creamy bites of potatoes etc.

Dips and Spreads - simple mixtures which can be made ahead of time and served both hot and cold. These can be eaten as a dipping sauce with a variety of raw vegetables like carrots, cucumbers or served surrounded with chips, pita, tortillas etc. Some interesting cold dips are salsa, guacamole, chutneys. Some hot ones are fondue, queso.

Serving Appetizers

When serving appetizers in a small informal gathering, one should begin with a mix of nibbles, dips and a few simple appetizers, offered with small plates, forks, and napkins to the guests. As it is easy for each one to help themselves because of the close seating arrangement.

Whereas, if you are organising a large event, than a combination of cold appetizers and some hot ones, preferably finger foods is best suited. Because in a big crowd people cannot always make their way easily to the buffet table. Therefore the food is usually passed around in trays. And secondly placing nibbles in bowls around the drinks corner or other different corners of the room, making it easy for the guests to move around freely and pop in whatever they wish. It is best to count about 5 appetizers per person.

Tempting Appetizer recipes at Simply Vegetarian Recipes.

Nasi Lemak, Roti Canai, Chicken Rice & Malaysian Food

Nasi Lemak
Rice cooked with coconut milk(cream) for traditional Malay dishes, is called Nasi Lemak.
Traditionally, it comes as a platter with cucumber slices, Ikan Bilis (small dried anchovies), roasted peanuts, hard boiled egg, and hot spicy sambal (traditional chili sauce), is the basic version. Nasi lemak can also come with any other accompaniments such as stir fried water kangkong (convolvulus), chicken, cuttlefish, cockle, beef curry and etc.
There are even Chinese version Nasi Lemak, which is usually non-halal, as sometimes pork is added. And also Vegetarian version Nasi Lemak, in which vegetarian ingredients replace the traditional ingredients.

Nasi Lemak is also considered National Dish of Malaysia, as the most widely eaten food in Malaysia. Not only for its inexpensiveness, but also because the basic version Nasi Lemak, which comes with only anchovies, hard boiled egg and sambal, is available everywhere and consumable by all ethnic groups.

Roti Canai
Is a type of flat-bread food widely consumed in Malaysia by all the ethnic groups, commonly sold in Mamak stalls (Tamil Muslim restaurants), Indian restaurants and Malay restaurants. For it's availability and popularity, it is claimed to be the second National Dish of Malaysia.
As the name implies, Roti canai is said to have been introduced by immigrant labor from Chennai, India (formerly known as Madras. However, the first instance of the use of the name Chennai is said to be in a sale deed dated August 1639 to Francis Day, an agent for the British where there is a reference to the place of the current Chennai) where a similar combination of parotta and dalcha - the accompanying lentil curry - is served.

Roti Canai is usually served with 'dhal' (lentil) curry, it can be taken with sugar or condensed milk.
There are numerous variations of Roti Canai to suite individual's taste, common variations include: Roti Telur, (with eggs), Roti Planta (stuffed with margarine and sugar), Roti Bawang (onion bread), Roti Sardin (stuffed with sardine), roti pisang (banana bread).
There are also a lot of different curries used besides dhal, such as Kari Ayam (chicken curry), Kari Daging (beef curry), Kari Kambing (mutton curry), Kari Ikan (fish curry), Kari Campur (mixed curry, mixture of dhals and curries can be selected)

Chicken Rice
Usually referred to Hainanese Chicken Rice, roots in Hainan Cuisine and it was introduced by Hainanese overseas Chinese. The most commonly served Chicken Rice is "White Chicken" and rice. Chicken Rice accompanied with Bean Sprouts is common especially in Ipon, a town in Perak Malaysia. Which contributes to a version called "Ipoh Chicken Rice". Whereas, "Roasted chicken" is another popular version of chicken rice widely consumed by Malaysian, as there is also Malay or Halal version Chicken Rice (Nasi Ayam), usually served with Roasted Chicken, and it is commonly available in Malay Restaurants or Stalls.

Nasi Lemak, Roti Canai, Chicken Rice are the three most consumed foods in Malaysian, for their convenient, fast, low prices and being accepted by most of the people. Making it the de facto traditional Malaysian Fast Food today.

Being a multicultural country, Malaysians have over the years adapted each other's dishes to suit the taste buds of their own culture. Malay version Chicken Rice is a good example of cross-culture influence, Malaysians of Chinese descent have adapted the Indian curry, and made it more dilute and less spicy to suit their taste. Chinese Fried Rice and Noodles have been crossed with Indian and Malay tastes and thus Malay fried rice, fried noodles and Indian fried rice, fried noodles were born.

On top of the most widely consumed Nasi Lemak, Roti Canai and Chicken Rice, which represent Malay, Indian and Chinese cuisine respectively. There are also Nyonya food, Thai food and others.

Nyonya food
It was invented by the Peranakan people of Malaysia. It uses mainly Chinese ingredients but blends them with South-East Asian spices such as coconut milk, lemon grass, turmeric, screwpine leaves, chillies and sambal. It can be considered as a blend of Chinese and Malay cooking.

Thai Food
It also features strongly in Malaysian cuisine, such as the most popular Tom Yam are widely available in various restaurants and stalls, especially in the northern region.

Other food
Such as those introduced by Filipinos (mostly in Sabah, a state in East Malaysian) and Indonesian migrants, also have their restaurants or stalls, catering to both their same ethnic group of clients and local clients. Being culturally close to Malaysia, a lot of Indonesian food have been accepted by Malaysians as a part of their daily dishes, like Satay (sate), Soto (food), Rendang (dry curry), Cendol (dessert) and others.

Tony Ng,

Contributor of Best Malaysian Food portal, at http://www.bestmalaysianfood.com/

Dream Home Checklist - Home Buying

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 Vanden Berge 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 shoping 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 house inspection cover ups

Exterior Wood Beams

Easy Appetizers

Easy appetizers are simple starter meals that are able to stimulate your appetite for the main meal. They are an easy and attractive way of entertaining you guests as the wait for the main meal. This kind of starter dishes require varied lengths of time to prepare. Some require a long time whereas other may only require a short time.

There are various types of easy appetizers. They include Mexican, Italian, and French starter dishes among many others. Examples of this kind of dishes include; potatoes, Asparagus Omelet, Blue Cheese Dip, Chicken Lollypop, Corn Balls, and beer Biscuits. These dishes are quickly and easily prepared. They are a sure way of impressing the person for whom they are prepared. The are also able to achieve the purpose for which they are made, that is to increase and sustain hunger until the main meal is served.

For the Potato recipe, you only need to deep fry the potatoes and then garnish with red chilli powder, cumin powder, and Chaat masala. This is then decorated with coriander leaves. to prepare the Blue cheese, you need to fry the cheese in low fat yogurt, add blue cheese, Tabasco sauce, salt, and Worcester sauce. This is served with crispy crackers.

With recipes as simple as the ones mentioned and described above, You are sure to have a perfect starter dish within a limited time. You therefore do not have to fear inviting guests over as easy appetizers will make your cooking easier, and your guests happier. The meals you serve will be memorable to you and your guests.

Peter Gitundu Researches and Reports on Appetizers. For More Information on Easy appetizer, Visit His Site at EASY APPETIZER

You Can Also Add Your Views About Easy appetizer At My Blog here EASY APPETIZER

Great Stair Building Books Can Make The Difference

Where do we go to buy stair building books? Do we go to the major retailers like Amazon or Barnes & Noble? I have found over the years the information in most of these books I have purchased from these stores has a lot of fluff with very little common sense stair building application.

I bought one stair building book that had information on handrails. The front cover looked great and I thought this was going to be a great book reading the reviews from Amazon. When I finally got the book in the mail, I would say about one third of it was math tables for building elaborate wooden hand railing's. These tables were not easy to understand along with the rest of the book.

Back when I bought the book on building stair handrails it dawned on me that most of the construction workers I have met during my 30 years of working in the field were not very good outside of basic math. Now I knew a lot of carpenters that could read a measuring tape and use a framing square pretty good. But when it came to advanced geometrical construction projects like a stair hand railing system this was out of our league.

Reading this book or should I say parts of it gave me an idea to write a book of my own, starting with basic stair building I took all the fluff or the hard to understand advanced stair building applications out of my book, How to Build a Straight Set of Stairs.

I put a lot of time into creating an illustration for every possible part of building a simple set of stairs. I have probably built over 2000 sets of stairs during my lifetime and have explained and taught basic and advanced stair building to other carpenters. Understanding what parts of the stair construction process they understood, I was able to improve my skills as a stair building teacher.

Most people do not need advanced stair building skills to construct a simple straight set of stairs. If you are building a straight set of stairs and would like a stair building book with lots of easy to understand illustrations along with simplified directions you have found it.

We're building more stair building books to help contractors, carpenters, handymen and homeowners understand the stair building process.

Greg Vanden Berge 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.

Toilet Paper Under The Bathroom

What is Your GQ? - Grandparent Quotient

No matter when we senior citizens finally achieve being a grandparent, there are some tests to help identify our capability and capacity for being a good one. My experience is certainly limited in the role and I have never taken courses in retirement to boost my GQ. Basic intuition and sensitivity contribute about as much to ability and smarts as most anything else.

First, a grandparent is not a replacement for the parent. Of course, this assumes all are available to fulfill their roles and to understand the limits of each. If circumstances have created a situation in which the roles are different, that has to be worked out accordingly.

Complexities introduced before and continuing in the 21^st century contribute to keeping abreast of inter family dynamics. It ain't what it used to be, if it ever were that way.

If there still is a "nuclear" family, the dynamics aren't necessarily simplified. Families who have meals together at home, without interference by television, etc., is an increasingly unusual phenomenon. Perhaps one of the roles grandparents can fulfill is offering an occasional get together around the table for a meal. Assuming this won't be a forced occasion, but one which can contribute to frivolity and good times, such an opportunity can create fond memories.

Finding something in common with grandchildren, such as activities you enjoy together, (no matter their age) remains a challenge. It is, however, a challenge worth pursuing. Genuine companionship between generations offers a wealth of recollections worthy of posterity.

Adolescence offers its own challenges. When grandparents find ways to contend with that hurdle, then a true, lifelong affection will surely be shared. I think we are there with our grandchildren, although times together are predictably less frequent.

Finding gifts that respect the grandchild and are age appropriate will also offer memories, for the item will likely be one that the grandchild chooses to keep.

Communicating with some frequency becomes more and more a challenge. However, with email, text messaging, cell phones, etc. available some contact can be established and maintained. It is an easy exercise to overlook, but one that needs nurture for the benefit of both parties.

Identifying and reserving some special alone times is also important and necessary. Before long, graduation and off to college, distance and demands will consume more and more of what had been time a grandparent could claim. Try to hang on to some of what soon will be absorbed by the claims of normal growing up and going away.

Check out your GQ once in a while with other senior citizens learn from them, both what to do and what not to do. Thank your grandchildren for the wonderful contributions they make to your life. Let them know often, with genuine sincerity, how special they are.

Article provided by Dr. Jerry D. Elrod. For information on retirement, Baby Boomers and everything related to Seniors, please visit my blog at http://seniorcitizenjournal.blogspot.com

Tips For Hanging a Picture on Drywall

Hanging a picture or mirror might seem like something that's easy but there is some work involved to ensure there is no damage to your wall and the picture is accurately placed. You've probably haphazardly hammered in a nail and hung a small picture before but there is more to it than that. Here are some tips to hanging a picture.

First, you must determine the approximate weight of the object you'll be hanging and the material you'll be hanging it on. You'll need to purchase the right materials for the job. If you're picture is light and you'll be hanging it on traditional drywall then a nail or screw is sufficient. If you have plaster or cement walls then you'll need special screws; nails can chip and damage these types of materials.

If your object is heavier than a few pounds and you won't be nailing it into a stud then you'll probably need a special anchor such as a molly-bolt. If you don't, you'll run the risk of the picture falling and taking a piece of the wall with it. When purchasing anchors, the packaging will clearly state the weight restrictions. You will generally need a drill into the drywall panel to install anchors. Don't let the extra work cause you to take shortcuts.

After choosing the right fastener for the job you'll need to determine where you want to put your picture, mirror or other hanging object. Height can be subjective but generally people tend to hang pictures too high as if they're in a museum. Pictures and mirrors should hang so their center is at eye level.

Measure out the picture and determine the highest point on the wire from which the object will hang. You won't be hanging it from the very top of the frame but from the top of the wire that suspends the picture. If you want your picture in the center of the wall then you'll need to determine where that is using a measuring tape. If you'll be hanging multiple pictures then you can lay them out on the floor to determine the composition and then measure out their total dimension. You can then figure out how much space is required between each of them.

Never use anything but a pencil on your wall and even then make small marks that can easily be removed. Once you have determined where to nail, be sure that the hook, not the nail, will line up with the picture's wire. Carefully hang your object and adjust it using the wire. Don't make more holes to adjust the height since it will make it look messy and unprofessional.

Take your time when you hang something. It will pay off in the long run.

The scriptwriter Johnathan Bakers is particularly interested in things associated to how to use a drywall lift. You might come across his articles on drywall lifts and drywall panel lift over at http://www.insidewoodworking.com

Painting Metal Siding

Christmas Trees Around the World

Understanding how cultures are really different, have a look at how different countries decorate their Christmas Trees. A seemingly small thing, everyone more or less assumes that all Christmas Trees are decorated just like theirs. Once you understand that something so common as the Christmas tree is decorated differently, you can begin to understand how different it is selling to different markets.

German Christmas Trees (Weihnachtsbaum)

Many of today's Christmas traditions started in Germany. There are at least 2 stories about how the Weihnachtsbaum began.

The first, Martin Luther is supposed to have gone for a walk in the woods near his home. He saw how beautifully the stars shone through the forest. He wanted to share the beauty with his wife so he cut down a fir and took it home. He used small candles on the branches and said that it would be a symbol of the beautiful Christmas sky.

Another legend says that in the early 16th century, people in Germany combined two customs that had been practiced in different countries around the world. The Paradise tree, a fir decorated with apples, representing the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden. The second, a small, pyramid-like frame called The Christmas Light decorated with glass balls, tinsel, and a candle on top. The Christmas Light was a symbol of the birth of Christ as the Light of the World. Changing the tree's apples to tinsel balls and cookies and combining this new tree with the Light placed on top, the German's created the tree that many of us know now.

Today, the Weihnachtsbaum is traditionally decorated by the parents in secret with lights, tinsel, and ornaments by the mother and is lit and revealed on Christmas Eve with cookies, nuts, and gifts under its branches.

Canadian Christmas Trees

German settlers migrated to Canada from both Germany and the United States before 1800. These immigrants brought many of the things that we associated with Christmas today. Advent calendars, gingerbread houses, Christmas cookies and the Christmas trees.

English Christmas Trees

Queen Victoria's German husband, Prince Albert, put up a Christmas tree at Windsor Castle in 1848. Almost immediately, the Christmas tree became a tradition in England, the United States, and Canada. Today, the Norway spruce is the traditional tree used in British homes. The Norway spruce used to be a native species in the UK (until the last Ice Age) and it has been reintroduced before the 1500s.

Swedish Christmas Trees (Julgran)

Most Swedes buy their Julgran well before Christmas Eve. It is common to take the Julgran inside and decorate it just a few days before Christmas. Julgran are decorated with stars, sunbursts, and snowflakes made from straw. Other decorations include colorful wooden animals and straw centerpieces.

Norwegian Christmas Trees (Juletre)

Norwegians will often make a trip to the woods to select a Juletre themselves. The Juletre was only introduced into Norway in the latter half of the 19th century. On Christmas Eve the Juletre is usually done by the parents while the children wait out of site. Juletre are decorated with white lights, tinsel, Norwegian flags and other ornaments. Children often use shiny, colored paper to make paper baskets that are filled with candy or nuts. Chains made of colored paper are also very popular. Colored lighting is becoming popular, but the white lights are more like the candles they are supposed to represent.

Japanese Christmas Trees

Only about 1% of the Japanese are Christian, so Christmas is not a national holiday there and the year end celebration is more important than Christmas. Trees are decorated with small toys, gold paper fans and lanterns, wind chimes and small candles. A popular ornament is origami creations, with the origami swan being the most popular.

Greenlandic Christmas Trees

Because of the arctic climate, Christmas trees don't grow in Greenland so theirs are shipped in from Denmark. Greenlanders decorate theirs with candles and bright ornaments.

Italian Christmas Trees (Albero di Natale )

The presepio (nativity scene) is very common in Italy. The scene is often set out in the shape of a triangle which is the base of a pyramid-like structure called the ceppo. This is a wooden frame arranged to make a pyramid several feet high. It is decorated with colored paper, gilt pine cones, and miniature colored pennants. Small candles are fastened to the tapering sides. A star or small doll is hung at top. The shelves above the manger scene have small gifts of fruit, candy, and presents. The ceppo is in the old Tree of Light tradition which became the
Albero di Natale in other countries. Some houses even have a small ceppo for each child in the house.

Brazilian Christmas Trees (rvore de Natal )

Christmas falls during the summer in Brazil. Some people decorate pines with pieces of cotton that represent falling snow.

Philippine Christmas Trees

Since fresh pine trees are too expensive for many Filipinos, handmade trees are often used. Filipinos often make Star lanterns from bamboo sticks, covered with brightly colored rice paper or cellophane, and usually feature a tassel on each point. One will be placed in each window, representing the Star of Bethlehem.

Chinese Christmas Trees

Only 3 to 4% of Chinese are Christian and few people celebrate Christmas. Of the small percentage of Chinese who do celebrate Christmas, most erect artificial trees decorated with paper chains, paper flowers and lanterns. Christmas trees are called "trees of light."

Saudi Arabian Christmas Trees

Christians living in conservative Muslim Saudi Arabia have to celebrate Christmas privately in their homes. Christmas lights are generally not tolerated. Most families place their Christmas trees somewhere out of site and decorate as they do in their home country

Decorating the Christmas Tree with Feng Shui

When decorating the Christmas tree, think about colors. Green is a calming color and red a fiery and energetic color. These colors balance each other out, and they happen to be traditional Christmas colors. The Christmas tree should be in the center of the main room, or slightly to the left of the main room.

A Feng Shui tree should have something that family and friends put on of their own, something special as part of the decorations. Decorating the Christmas Tree should be a shared experience that will help create a special moment and increase the good energies of this festive ritual.

Decorating the Christmas Tree For Geeks

No, not Greeks, Geeks. A Geek Christmas tree is something to behold. It is usually a 'regular' Christmas tree, but a Geek will occasionally use an old PC as the base and make branches with old IT material. Decorations include CD's, a broken mouse or two, old USB keys, the CPU from old mother boards and other similar shiny material. The star on top is built out of any appropriate material that is sitting around. Often the star sill be based on the 'flavor' of the Geek. A Star Wars Geek may use a Death Star model as the star of their tree.

Since there are many breeds of Geek, ornaments may be figurines from Star Wars, Harry Potter, World of Wars, and Star Trek. Fake snow at the base of the tree is usually the Styrofoam left over from packing material.

Now that you have seen the differences in Christmas Tree decoration, you can begin to work on how you will sell to different markets.

Are you committed to speeding up your international sales cycles?

Learn how to combine cross-cultural marketing tools and international sales strategies for faster sales.

Join us on the International Sales Road Map.

Would you like to develop your international business?
Are you a beginner at international sales and marketing?
Read the Beginners Guide Discover Your International Business.

Cindy King is a Cross-Cultural eMarketer & International Sales Specialist, aligning businesses with different cultures. She has over 25 years field experience in international business development and helps mid-sized business owners create international business development strategies that shorten time to profitability.

Having Good Luck in Your Life - Forever

While it is commonly known that good feng shui can bring good luck to the person who takes advantage of it, it is also important to understand that there is also bad chi. Basically, Sha Chi and Si Chi falls under the category of bad chi in feng shui. People who want to bring good luck to their lives must avoid bad feng shui.

Sha Chi is also referred to as "killing" energy by feng shui experts. It traces its origins from above ground and below ground; it has different negative effects on the person who suffers from it. ShaChi that comes from below group will sap the energy of a person and cause sickness. Usually, a person who suffers from it will feel tired and anxious without any reason. Meanwhile, ShaChi from above ground will usually cause illnesses and nervous complaints. It can also result to problems in a person's personal life such as broken marriages and financial concerns.

This kind of bad chi can be created by the sharpness of an object, either man-made or natural, that points sharply towards the entrance of your house or window. For example, houses at the corner of a T-junction are more likely to accumulate Sha Chi because the attacking energy goes to the main door. Inside the house, ShaChi can also be developed. For example, when there is a sharp angle that points to your work area or your bed, it will emit energy that attacks. In this case, the proximity of the sharp object should be looked into; the further away the attacking element is, the lesser its damage.

Other situations that can create Sha Chi include a house located opposite a dilapidated building, a noisy neighborhood, or cables and wires that obstructs the view. It has also been noted that the closeness to a graveyard can create ShaChi.

Si Chi

Another kind of bad chi is Si Chi. SiChi is also characterized by decaying and low energy that feels lifeless. It can lead to sickness and depression for people who are exposed to it for a particular period of time. Like ShaChi, Si Chi can also be found outside the home; usually, SiChi is created at the site of a massacre or the site of human tragedies. Si Chi can also be found inside homes and buildings as well. It is what we sometimes refer to as "bad vibes"; it can be felt when you have the urge to leave a particular area for no apparent reason at all.

Julia Vakulenko is a licensed broker associate with Tampa4U.com Realty. She has one of the hardest working Tampa Real Estate team in Florida.

Glass Railing - Where Class Should Be Visible

Add Sparkle To Space Use Glass Railings

Glass railings with some transparency and a lot reflection from glass can create a different kind of atmosphere to a place that has been lit up brightly. If you see a Dubai gold mart for example, you will be able to see lot of glass railing in market. The well-lit mart becomes alive with reflection from gold and the use of glass everywhere, including the railings, accentuates the feeling of fun of shopping.The complete reflection from all surfaces adds to the glitter of gold there. If you use wood or any other railings there, the effect will not be as electric.

Customized Solutions - Glass Railings

Glass railings are never available as ready made material that can be cut and fitted as required. When you wish to use glass railings, the idea is to accentuate the atmosphere of the whole place and hence you may have to consider the all the factors including the lighting. The holistic approach has to be applied to the whole place rather than just fitting the glass railings.

Advantage Glass Railings No Maintenance Absolutely

The main advantage of the glass railings is that it requires no maintenance at all. There is no requirement of polishing or the possibility of mildew formation or and degradation of quality of the installed railings. Apart from the general cleaning, the glass railing continues to look as good as new all the time. Replacements unless the glass breaks are not necessary.

Advantage 2 - Tender Handling By Customers

Because of the perception of glass as breakable material, everyone handles it carefully even when tender handling is not required. Therefore, when children try riding the railings, immediately the parents come in and prevent the children from doing so. This happens, as the glass is feared to be breakable even when it is not and this prevents any undesirable incidents in a shopping complex.

Advantage 3 - Inviting Atmosphere

The glass with its openness results in a place where the shoppers feel invited and indulge in more shopping than may be warranted by their capacity and the shop owner gets the advantage of higher turnover.

Adam Peters is a freelance author who contributes adding interesting articles to a deck and porch railings website. Adam publishes ideas for railing plans and designs at http://www.deck-porch-railings.com Reach more articles on modern glass railing designs at http://www.deck-porch-railings.com/glass-deck-railing.html

What Does A Gfi Do

Cost Effective Stair Building

What is the most cost effective way of building stairs? Why do the tract homes use on site methods of construction? When you think of a factory assembling a product on a assembly line you think why not a home. Why do they still build homes on lots or residential home sites?

If homes could be built in a factory cheaper than on site that is exactly what every home builder would be doing. They just haven't quite figured it out yet. When dealing with the large amounts of materials required to build a house and of course the expense of shipping. It is not cost effective to build a conventional home in a factory and ship it over long distances.

This is the biggest problem with cost effective stair construction. Most prefabricated stairs you will notice are spiral stairs. These stairs are smaller than most stairs that are used for multi level construction.

Spiral stairs are hard for your average carpenter to build. These stairs can be purchased from a factory easily and quite inexpensive.

The stairs in your average two story house are going to weigh about 3 times the amount of a spiral set of stairs that could be shipped in a cost effective way. Spiral stairs are not going to be the main stairway in a home and normally go up to a loft or an attic. Most spiral stairs don't meet the minimum building requirements for the main stairway in your home.

When building tract homes the lumber is shipped in bulk directly to the house site where it will be assembled. The lumber and other building materials will be shipped once. If it went to a factory and then assembled it would also have to be sent to the site on which the house was to be built. This added expense in shipping the materials twice is the problem for such a large and heavy item such as a set of stairs.

There are other prefabricated types of stairs that are built locally and the shipping usually is not a major expense. If you are building a stairway that is not to difficult to build for the average carpenter it will normally be cost effective to build the stairs on site. This would require having the carpenter build the stairs as part of the rough framing and then after drywall have the finish carpenter build the stair handrail system.

Visit us now for easy Home Constuction Help

Greg Vanden Berge 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.

Using Words In The Bible Effecti

Is Earth4Energy Real

With all the hype around the earth four energy products, many people are questioning is earth4energy real? Well the product is based on very real and applicable information which many people have known about the decades now.

This information will tell you not only how to build and install your own energy power system such as do-it-yourself solar panels, and do-it-yourself home wind turbines, but you will also find out a lot of really useful information on how to make your home more efficient in terms of energy usage that you use in your day to day life.

Many people are starting to use this technology, although as I mentioned, this technology has been around for some years now. It is only really because of the economy, and also because of the worsening state of the environment and this planet, that more and more people are starting to look at renewable home energy systems as a reality in their own lives.

The best thing about the earth4energy product, is that it now gives you not only a full downloadable information guide teaching you how to source materials, build systems, and install them, but also you will now have videos that will guide you step-by-step through the process of making your home more energy-efficient.

This really is the icing on the cake, and this is why so many people are starting to take note of this amazing opportunity to learn how to build systems that will increase their efficiency in their own home and provide them with much cheaper living costs.

To get more information from someone who is actually built the system click here and see what is contained within earth4energy, and to help you better answer your question is earth4energy real? then click on one of the links.

This article maybe used freely by others, as long as they keep the resource box as is.

You Absolutely Must Know Now - Self Help Tips

1) Find out what you really want (xyz income a year, romance)
2) And who you want to be (loving, successful, happy)
3) Know WHY you want the above (more time, less stress)
4) State them as specific Intentions (I am / I have vs I will)
5) Start being that person (How would a happy person earning $ xyz act?)

The word "Goal" often brings up draggy, hard to achieve images for most of us. Groannnn! No wonder we lose motivation - 'cos we didn't really care about the goal as much as what we thought it would bring us. It also says "DO DO DO" and while doing is a big part of it, it isn't quite the start point. So what is?

Being. As you focus on who you want to Be, the Doing action flows naturally.

You can be a successful entrepreneur. A great parent. Courageous. Happy. The good news is you get to consciously choose whoever you want to be!

Planning. Next, create SMART goals (specific, measurable, actionable, resonant and thrilling - a little twist on the conventional definition). Your goals should (not that I'm telling you what to do ha-ha) excite you, scare you and align with your values.

Doing. Be ready to take inspired action, and make it consistent action.

Some things you can do to climb back on the horse when you fall:

Hold yourself accountable to a friend, a coach, an accountability partner. Join a mastermind group. Change your goals if they don't excite you anymore. Yeah, really! Let them go. Be nice to yourself, have fun, treat yourself when you accomplish a task and ask for help - you don't have to go it alone.

This isn't an exhaustive list but it's definitely a good place to tap into when stuck.

Bottom-line: By clearly knowing what you want and why, you've got a better chance of getting it. Sounds good to me!

Tia Singh,
Inspired by Fun! Life Coaching -
Life And Success Coach, LOA Coach, NLP Practitioner and Psych K facilitator.
"Bust those self limiting beliefs - they're not working for you anymore!
"Live your Best Life Ever"
Website: http://www.inspiredbyfun.com
Simply stated, I inspire and support people like you to live a life of love, courage and fulfillment. It's time to live the life you were born to live.
Visit my website at http://www.inspiredbyfun.com to learn more about my services and to book a free consultation. Let's get this party started!

DIY Tips For Basement Waterproofing

There are only two things you can do when your basement starts to leak. First, you can call experts or contractors that will fix the problem for you which of course it will be a bit expensive. Second, you can do it yourself. The second one is a good choice because you will save money, just be sure you will choose the right product and follow these simple do-it-yourself waterproofing tips.

There are many products out in the market now and these products might help you decide to do it yourself.

Basement dry: For you to use this product you need to drill a hole into your basement floor, a probe will then be inserted. The probe detects ground water and once water is detected, the probe will suck up the water into the self-priming pump. The product is doubly effective because once the water is all suck up, the pressure is also removed. If ever water is not removed, pressure would remain and it result to water being pushed into cracks in the floor or wall. Thus, you will know where the cracks or holes that you will need to repair. Remember it is not easy to look for the cause. Using this product will help you look for the root cause.

Squid Gee Dry: This works on poured and block walls. The water is trapped in the holes of the block. Water is drain simply by drilling small holes on the bottom layer of block. For poured walls which are not hollow, water comes from the crack and goes to the cold joint. Seal the cracks top to bottom. Make sure you will leave the very bottom unsealed for the water to go to the Squid Gee dry.

These two products are not only useful in preventing to waterproof your basement, but most especially if you think it has already has cracks, holes, and leaks.

The easiest and cheapest way to know if your basement has leaks is for you to use foil. By simply taping the foil to the wall of your basement you will know if you have leaks. Wait for some time and check which sides has a moisture on it. If the moisture is on the room side of your basement then you are very luck. All you need to do is to add a humidifier. But if the moisture can be found on the other side, then you really need to waterproof your basement. You might as well use the two mentioned earlier.

There are still a lot of products you can use for DIY basement waterproofing but choose the ones suggested and proven to be effective so as not to waste money. Like if you choose to buy concrete water-proofing products, make sure that you will only by the right one.

It is also advise to start waterproofing the outside part then the inside part. It will double the effect though it will also double the cost. These are just a few great ways to have a waterproof basement. Remember that it's easier to fix a problem before it starts than doing damage control after it's too late.

Stair Lighting Problems

Walking up and down the stairs in the dark could become a safety issue. If the stairs in the house are not that old, there should be a light switch at the top and a light switch at the bottom of the stairway. This is a three way switch and is designed to allow you to turn the stair lighting on as you walk up the stairs and then turn the stair lighting off, once you've safely reached the top of the stairway. And vice versa as she walked down the stairs.

If you don't have a light switch, there are motion sensor lights that are battery operated and can be installed easily in the stairway. These lights can provide you with peace of mind, while protecting your family from accidents.

Stairway accidents are nothing to joke about, I lived in a two-story house with four other people and was the last one to fall down the stairway. None of us got seriously injured and the stairway was built to meet local building codes and was inspected by a building and safety inspector. The stairs were built correctly and the stair lighting was no problem, but people still fell down the stairway and it always happens in the evening.

During the day time there were two windows that let plenty of light into the stairway and in the evening the stairway became quite dark, rarely was the stair lightning ever turned on. This could have been outright laziness but nevertheless, it was rarely used and eventually became a safety issue.

Lighting your stairway might not end all of your problems but it can and some of your problems. There are plenty of stair lighting systems available on the market today and some of the battery operated stair lighting systems can be installed by most homeowners.

Think safety always and do your best to solve your stair lighting problems as soon as possible to prevent injuries or accidents.

Greg Vanden Berge 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 building stairs or home building ideas.

Religion Articles

Solar Power Your Home

How much are you currently paying for electricity each month? Have you ever wished you could "shop around" for power companies? It seems like if they had more competition they might be forced to lower their prices a little bit. But as it is, we don't get to choose our utility company, competition does not influence pricing, and we are forced to pay the rising energy costs or else go without power and that's certainly not an option!

Solar Power is becoming more and more popular as energy costs continue to rise and environmental conditions worsen. Because you are using renewable energy, you are saving the earth whereas your utility company uses energy from non-renewable resources. In the same way as the gas we use for our vehicles, the electricity used to power our homes is quickly depleting our natural resources. Using solar power will allow you to do your part to save our earth.

It is simple and easy to do, and all of the supplies you need are available at your local hardware store. Plus it doesn't take long at all. You can choose whether you want to install a couple and greatly reduce your utility bill, or if you want to add several and become energy independent. Many people choose to completely power their home using only solar power.

You can use solar power to run even your largest appliances, such as your refrigerator, washer or dryer. The energy is stored to continue to power your home even during storms when your normal power is out. (Be careful of this though, your neighbors may catch on and flock to your house during power outages)!

Shaun Bradley

http://www.sneakyreviews.com/energy4earth

How to Escape the Hamster Wheel - Self Help Tips

Do you ever feel like you're trapped on an out of control treadmill, running faster and faster, working harder and harder, yet not getting anywhere? Right now do you actually feel like you're losing ground, with all the bad economic news and political turmoil? If so, you aren't alone. Many, if not most people in the developed countries are feeling much the same. Trapped and forced to run endlessly, with no hope of ever achieving our life goals. It's been called the hamster wheel life.

We are surrounded by technological marvels. Our standard of living is beyond that of even the wealthiest rulers only a few generations ago. And we have access to an almost limitless selection of products and lifestyles. So why should we feel so trapped and stressed out?

I think we feel this way because we've lost our way. That is, we have lost touch with the traditions, customs, and rituals that people have traditionally based their lives around. Our lives are fast. We are always on the run, always behind schedule, always chasing the next goal. As a result, we experience most of life shallowly. That is, we don't have the time or the energy to delve deeply into the meaningful experiences of our lives. The hamster wheel doesn't stop and we don't have time.

We experience life shallowly. With endless interruptions and distractions, we don't have the time or energy to experience most things deeply or intensely. About the only things that can knock us off the hamster wheel for long are major crises. Family or personal disasters get our attention. So do massive disasters like September 11. But all too soon, we're back on the wheel, running for all we're worth, with our current events and experiences a blur, and our strongest impressions those left over from the latest disaster. No wonder we feel stressed out and helpless to achieve our personal goals.

You can escape the hamster wheel life. You don't have to sell everything you own and abandon modern life either. If you can bring some positive intense experiences into your life, and dive deeply into them, you can transform your experience. It doesn't take a huge commitment of time, or lots of experimentation either.

Until very recently, humans always included these kinds of experiences in their lives. There are tried and true traditions that you can easily incorporate into your own life to counteract much of what is wrong with our modern way of life. What we're talking about here is our natural way of life. All you need is a little help to find your way back to it.

There are nine types of positive experiences that successful and happy people across all cultures seem to share. To learn about these 9 intense experiences, and get yourself back on track to achieving your life goals, visit: http://www.your9intenseexperiences.info

William P. Smith is the author of dozens of how-to books and articles, and is busily working on adding more intense positive experiences to his own life.

Backsplash For Bathroom Tile

Backsplash For Bathroom Tile remodeling is a great option for home-makers to easily redecorate any surface at home. When it comes to contemporary and easy DIY tiles, using this unique tiling technique is an alternative you should consider. Want to learn how it can help you redecorate your home? Read the following article.

Quick introduction

Backsplash For Bathroom Tile redecoration is made of a set of identical beach-stones fixed onto a sq/ft mesh backing. We may find that these panels are made of stones originated from various beaches and rivers from all over the world - mostly from S. East Asia. This tiling technique enables you to easily redecorate anywhere in the inside & the outside: Bathroom flooring and wall coating (including showers), kitchen surfaces such as countertops & backsplashes, patios, pools and even fireplaces.

Important benefits

Let's quickly summarize the main advantages and benefits of this unique technique:

* Can be used for virtually unlimited applications at home, in the office, in restaurants, hotels, etc.
* Can be used for dry surfaces as well as wet surfaces such as shower flooring or as a sink backsplash.
* Their surfaces are flush and in fact, are safer to walk on than most conventional hard flooring as they offer more traction to prevent slipping.

Valuable tips to go!

* Use a tile saw in order to cut stones to fit edges or corners.
* Most recommended grout is sanded grout - it is suitable for both internal and external use.
* Don't rush! - make a plan; make sure you know how to install these panels, even make a small trial first just to see that you can handle it with no problem.

We could easily find many other great benefits provided by this simple redesigning method simply because it provides virtually unlimited remodeling options to any space and surface at any size and location whether for interior or exterior uses.

Quick summary

It is considered as one of the best tiling choices for the average home-maker due to the fact that Backsplash For Bathroom Tile can be quickly installed with minimal required technical skills, and at low cost. If you wish to succeed with your first installation it is recommended to keep the above tips before you begin with installation.

Get creative! - Learn more about how you can easily decorate any surface at home or in the office with Backsplash For Bathroom Tiles.

Visit: http://www.homepebbletiles.com

Home Improvement Tip - Fixing a Squeaky Floor

Question: I have a floor that every single time I step on it I get the most annoying sound. I don't know what it does to me or why it bothers me so much. My kitchen floor squeaks and actually moves up and down if you are standing on it. The whole floor moves. How do I stop it from moving and squeaking. Help Me Greg!

Answer: It sounds like you have a broken floor joist. You are going to have to go under your house. If you have a basement this will be a little easier to fix. It is my guess that you don't have a basement or you would have seen the broken floor joist by now.

Have someone stand on the floor in the spot that squeaks and have them move up and down while you are under the house. Don't have them jump up and down while you are under the house. This could cause more damage to the structural framing of the floor. Once you are in the right position under the floor you can have them start moving slowly. What you are looking for is one of the floor joist that are moving.

If you see one of them moving. Look to see where the damage is. Is it a split, crack, wood rot or a big knot in the wood that has loosened up and fell out. Once you find the damaged floor joist you can now think about repairing it.

If you don't see any floor joist moving. Have the person on top start moving a little bit more and you can even have them jump on it a few times until you see something out of place. If you still don't see any broken floor joist. Start looking at the sub-floor, this will be plywood of some form, 1 x 6 or 2 x 6 materials.

What you are looking for is movement of any kind. Is there a separation or movement between the sub-floor and the floor joist. If you still can't find the problem maybe it is time to call in a professional.

The main thing you are going to be looking for is movement of any kind.

Most squeaky floors are caused from the sub-floor rubbing up and down on a nail. If you have carpeting and you have a squeaky floor you can do your best to locate a floor joist and screw right through your carpeting into the floor joist.

For more help on fixing squeaky floors visit http://gregvan.com/wood_repair.htm

Thanks for the great question. I hope it helps.

Greg Vanden Berge 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.

Visit us now for Home Improvement Tips

If I Hate My Brother