According to a live televised press conference by the Beverly Hills Police Department, police received an emergency call for assistance around 3:30 today from the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where Houston was a guest.  When emergency personnel arrived on scene just minutes after the call, CPR was already being performed on the star. At 3:55, Whitney Houston was pronounced dead at the hotel.   The cause of death is currently unknown and an investigation is underway.

Her death occurred just one day before music’s biggest night – the Grammy Awards.   Changes to the awards show are currently underway.   As the news continues to break, Houston was reportedly in town to attend music mogul Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy party where she was expected to perform.  Stunned fans, friends and members in the entertainment industry are leaving heartfelt messages on social media.

Whitney Houston

Houston was born into a musical family in 1963.  Her mother, Cissy Houston, is a famous gospel singer and her cousin is Dionne Warwick.  Her godmother is Aretha Franklin.  Whitney began her music career at a young age singing in the church.  Besides a successful modeling career, she went on to sing backup for some famous names before she hit it big on her own.   Her first album sold 25 million copies worldwide.  She went on to win a slew of awards including several Emmys and six Grammys.  She holds the record for the most American Music Awards. She was also named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World by People Magazine in 1991.

Besides her gorgeous looks and fabulous voice, Houston also acted in films.  Her role alongside Kevin Costner in “The Bodyguard” made her rendition of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” a huge smash that won Record of the Year and Album of the Year for the movie’s soundtrack.  Other films followed including “Waiting to Exhale” and “The Preacher’s Wife.”

Houston went on to marry singer Bobby Brown.  They shared one daughter together, Bobbi Kristina, and eventually divorced after a very public, tumultuous relationship.  Despite all the fame and fortune, Houston struggled for years with substance abuse.  Fans were hopeful of a successful and full recovery and a comeback.   Whitney Houston leaves behind her mother, daughter and millions of adoring fans.  She was 48.

 Image courtesy of Asterio Tecson

Photo by Flickr TORIMBC

Whether you’re going on a first date, a valentine’s night out, or a wedding anniversary, you can ramp up the sexy factor with some playful eye makeup. Here’s how to do eye makeup for two sexy date night looks. Pick either the cat eye or the gold smokey eye.

Cat Eye

Obviously this look is all about the eyeliner. The classic cat eye is usually done with black liquid liner, but there are variations depending on what’s easier for you.

• Liquid Liner

The easiest way to use liquid liner is to buy a liquid liner pen. Using a pen is already a natural movement. Now instead of scribbling on a notepad you’re drawing an elegant swooping line. Start from the outside and draw in. Make the liner thicker on the wing, and thinner as you draw towards your inner eye.

Try out: Maybelline Eye Studio Master Precise Ink Pen Eyeliner

Photo by Flickr vancouverfilmschool

• Cream Liner

To use cream liner you’ll need a liner brush. The easiest brush to use is an angled liner brush. This will help to facilitate the winged line. When picking up the cream product start with a very little bit of product. In fact, wipe a little bit of product off before applying. You can go on top with a bit more if needed, but it’s always hard to wipe off.

Try out: Makeup Forever Aqua Cream

• Powder Eyeliner

This isn’t the most popular product out there. But I feel it’s much easier to use for anyone that has a wobbly hand or is new to a cat eye. Some ladies just like the matte look that powder gives. Again, use an angled liner brush and start at the outside of the wing and bring the line in, tapering as you move towards the inner eye. Most powder eyeliners can be used wet or dry. If using wet, wet the brush instead of the powder so it doesn’t get too messy.

Try out: Aloette Powder Eyeliner

Pair your cat eye with a nude eyeshadow that sweeps all over the lid and up onto the brow bone. You can choose a red lip or nude lip.

Next choice for your sexy date night makeup is gold and bold.

Gold Smokey Eye

Photo by Flickr Bel Maciel

This look is very similar to a traditional smokey eye. Instead you’re going to pick out some metallic eyeshadows. Use the a nude or very pale gold under the brow. Choose a medium gold or bronze to apply all over the lid. Then pick out a deeper shadow for the crease and outer lid. Blend and blend and blend, then finish with a brown kohl pencil to line the top and bottom lash line.

Try out: Sephora Collection Colorful Duo Eyeshadow in Hot Brown

How to Make a Simple Valentine’s Day Centerpiece

Supplies for the Valentine’s Day Centerpiece:

• Burlap (amount depends on the size of your Valentine’s Centerpiece)
• Trim, ribbon or other in the length to trim the edges
• Watering can, Vase, or something creative to hold flowers.
• Fake or Real flowers.
• Permanent Marker
• Double Sided Tape H
• Hot Glue Gun.
• Sewing Machine (not required, but nice)

Cut out a rectangle of burlap appropriate for your table.  Then sewe double stitch around the edges.  This isn’t required, but helps prevent fraying.

Lay out the ribbon and trim to measure and cut it, then hot glue the ribbon in place. Be careful it doesn’t stick to your table during this step.

Use a red permanent market to write love on one corner and xoxo on the opposite corner.

A cheap, tin watering can from Walmart makes a great container for flowers and can be reused for many other projects, including a spring arrangement. Fake white flowers will also make the seasonal transition.

A 40 pack of red heart doilies for $2 and white rosette finish off the arrangement.

got a 40 pack of red heart doilies for $2 and made a quick white rosette to finish it off.

Double-sided tape holds the doily in place and hot glue holds the rosette to the doily.

From start to finish, this project took me less than 30 minutes.  It was super easy and I love how it turned out!

How did you get started creating these amazing toys?

We came to it organically. We were tired of the toy recalls + loved wood toys. My husband is a master carpenter from UK and we knew we could make beautiful things for our own children and at that time there was nothing like what we did on etsy. So we went for it!

 What is your favorite part of creating these handmade toys?

I love knowing that inside homes all over the world there are tiny pieces of my family. I like knowing that toys are safe and gorgeous and kiddos are enjoying them. I love handmade. the process, the lifestyle.

You can find Amy Turn Sharp’s gorgeous toys at Etsy, and read more about her story on her blog, Little Alouette.

Marx has been in the music industry for over 20 years, both as a writer and a performer and is best know for his singles “Don’t Mean Nothing,” “Hold On To The Nights” and “Right Here Waiting.” Well guess what? He’s back! Marx album, Stories To Tell, is a two CD, one DVD collection of his own hits as well as hits he’s written for others. Music includes original recordings, acoustic versions, and a live DVD from Shepherd’s Bush in the United Kingdom.

I have been listening to his new album since I got it and have been in flashback heaven! I love all the acoustical version of my favorite songs which would be perfect to set the mood for Valentine’s Day. hint hint If you loved him then, you will love his new album even more.

Do you love Richard Marx as much as I do? The you are going to love Stories to Tell package giveaway! Submit your favorite Richard Marx song and tell us why for a chance to win a Stories to Tell package giveaway of the CDs and a signed Lithograph of the album cover. Amazing right?! Now for the official rules:

• This giveaway is open to US residents only who are 18 years old or older
• One random winner will win a Stories to Tell package including the CDs and a signed Lithograph of the album cover.
• For a chance to win leave a comment stating your favorite Richard Marx song and why. Please include your email in your comment!
• Earn an extra entry by tweeting about the giveaway. “@BlissfullyD and @richardmarx are giving away an autographed copy of Richard Marx new album, Stories to Tell? http://bit.ly/zAhWcv Love him!“
• Earn another extra entry by subscribing to our newsletter.
• Contest ends February 24, 2012.

Good luck and happy listening!

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The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey is my very favorite financial book for the novice reader. It provides practical financial advice that is easy to understand, and to implement, as long as you are committed to following the plan. Dave Ramsey began offering financial advice through books and workshops after he hit rock bottom and declared bankruptcy. That woke him up to the way he was handling his money, and he changed. He shares with you the things he did to get control of his finances and then to build a great deal of wealth. He focuses on getting control of your budget and getting out of debt. After you have mastered these things he wants you to complete the next five steps of his seven-step plan to financial success. This book should appeal to most readers, and it has a companion workbook that can help you begin to apply the principles to your finances.

The Millionaire Next Door is an essential read for everyone. I first read it when I graduated from college, and it affected the way I look at wealth as opposed to the accumulation of things. The book looks at the habits of the millionaires and compares them to the average consumer. It can help you realize that having the nicest car or home, is not necessarily the way to begin to build real wealth. It provides a basic understanding of the habits you need to adopt if you want to build wealth.

SOS Novelties 3-in-1 Soy Candle

Lotion. Massage oil. Candle. This deliciously scented soy candle is perfect for setting the mood. Use it cold as a lotion or emollient, warmed as a silky massage oil or simply light it and let the alluring aroma put your mind elsewhere. The 3-in-1 candle is body safe, paraben free, all-natural and eco-friendly.  It glides on smooth (even cold), leaves your skin feeling silky and smells delicious (think pina colada meets watermelon). Two words: yes, please.

Red by Mary Kay and Strawberry by Arbonne

Red. It symbolizes power, love, confidence and seduction and is the perfect shade for a lipstick. If you’re looking to jazz up your appearance, or try something bold then Red and Strawberry are just what the beauty doctor ordered. Vibrant, long-lasting, smooth and simply beautiful, Red or Strawberry are sure to please.

Chocolate Truffle Body Scrub Polish

A definite must have on Valentine’s Day. Decadently scented Peruvian Cocoa powder, pure white cane sugar, Shea butter and and natural Cocoa butter.  This body scrub not only exfoliates your skin but polishes it and encourages cell-turnover. If you’re looking to glow this Valentine’s Day, then this scrub is just what you need. Also, try adding a dab or four of Arbonne’s sheer Glow Highlighter. It illuminates, smooths and leaves your skin looking radiant.

Body Butter by Asili

Shea and Cocoa butters, emollient-rich Soybean,  and sweet almond & Macadamia nut oils. This all-natural, handmade body crème is sure to help you keep your skin looking supple and youthful. Body butters can be customized to address specific needs and concerns.

Gavin’s tour merchandise bundles are available now through his merchandise store. He is offering his guys and girls bundles which include two t-shirts along with a limited edition poster from his summer tour.  Fans can also grab music bundles with all of his releases, and Sweeter merchandise packs that include the Sweeter CD, exclusive t-shirt, and more.

Sweeter is available now, in stores and online.  Single “Not Over You” has spent 15 weeks on the Billboard Top 100 since its release. Gavin’s recent iTunes Sessions album was released right before Thanksgiving and features seven acoustic tracks like “Not Over You” and “Chariot,” along with an exclusive interview.

Free Printable Coloring Pages & Activities

Do your little ones like to color? Nick Jr. has provided these groups of free printable coloring pages. The first group is composed of the Fresh Beat Band’s Winter Outfits and the second group shows the Fresh Beat Band in Summer.

Each of these groups of images include one group image of the band, along with another image of each individual member of the band (Kiki, Marina, Shout and Twist)

In addition to coloring pages, you can also print out these fun FBB place-mats for your kid’s party. Guests will enjoy coloring their placemat before the cake is cut!

Ready for some more fun? These printables provide a little more ‘learning’ in your activity plans. This group of printable puzzles includes shape matching, patterns, and a maze, suitable for fairly young kids. Older kids will probably enjoy the memory match cards more.

Store bought gummie candy full of preservatives are not really my ideal snack.  Now you can make your own homemade gummies with the kids and turn it into a fun craft activity with a delicious treat at the end.

Ingredients for Homemade Gummies

• 3 oz package of flavored gelatin
• 2 small packets of unflavored gelatin
• 1/3 cup of water
• Silicone ice cube trays or plastic candy molds

These heart shape silicone ice cube trays were purchased at Target and at IKEA.  There were a dollar each.

Mixing Homemade Gummies

Have your child pour 1/3 cup water into a saucepan.  No need to heat it, just plain cold water will be fine.  Then have them add the two packets of unflavored gelatin.

Have your child carefully pour the flavored gelatin into the saucepan next.  Stir slightly and let the mixture set for 10 minutes.

After your mixture has set it will look similar to the above picture.  It will be very grainy and crystal-like.  This is how it is supposed to look.

But sometimes you want a dessert that’s a little more dressed up.  Enter: The Strawberry Short (Cup) Cake!  All the convenience of a cupcake with the pizazz of a grown-up dessert.  And still easy to make!

Strawberry Short (Cup) Cake Ingredients:

• One yellow cake prepared
• One large container whipped topping
• 3-4 pints of fresh strawberries, chopped
• 12 small/medium mason jars or clear glass tumblers

Strawberry Short (Cup) Cake Directions:

1.  Crumble cake into each jar until it is about one third full.
2. Add a layer of strawberries, a layer of whipped topping, and another layer of strawberries.
3. Crumble more cake until the jar is full.  Top with a dollop of whipped topping and a few strawberry pieces.
4. Serve and enjoy!

Valentine Mug

This is the gift that keeps on giving! It is the perfect gift to make and give that your loved one can use year around.

First grab a mug and a can of chalkboard paint (which you should be able to purchase at any craft or hardware store). Tape of the portion of your mug that you want chalkboard — you can use painters tape (found at the hardware store — generally it is bright blue) or just plain masking tape. NOTE: Make sure that your tape is down nice and tight so that your paint does not seep under and leave you with streaks! Paint a good coat and let dry. Following the directions on my chalkboard paint, I waited four hours before adding another coat. You can add as many coats as you deem necessary, but two should be plenty.

Show up

Just knowing you’re there, waiting on her and wondering where she is, may be all the motivation your gym buddy needs to drag herself out of bed or off the comfy couch. You’ll feed off each other’s reliability, so the more faithful you are about showing up on time, the more likely she is to return the favor. If one of you is out of town or otherwise indisposed for a while, you can still keep in touch–and maintain some level of accountability–through phone calls or text messages.

Communicate

Try one of these easy styles to send a message to that special someone in your life.

The Ponytail

According to professional hairstylist, Kate, “There is a big difference between the “I’m going to the gym” ponytail, and The Ponytail.”

Kate - The Small Things Blog

In her video tutorial, Kate lists these steps to help you achieve perfection:

• Start with hair already styled with curling iron and product
• Use a jaw clip to secure a small section of hair at the crown to ensure a little extra lift (clip will be removed after wrapping ponytail)
• Loosely gather remainder of hair and pull into a ponytail
• Wrap with a clear ponytail holder and remove jaw clip
• Fluff, adjust and spray as needed
• Watch the end of the video as Kate reveals her secret trick for giving her ponytail a little extra fluff.

Two other ponytail options

• Super-sleek and skinny ponytail
• Ponytail with curls – create curls by taking small sections of the ponytail and wrapping around a curling iron to form long, loose curls

Off the Neck Updo

For hair completely off the neck, try this elegant updo.

Sexy Off-the-Neck Updo

 How to achieve this look

• Gather hair in a loose ponytail
• Curl sections of ponytail with curling iron, using hairspray to hold curls
• Pin curled sections individually with bobby pins until achieving desired look
• Embellish with hair accessory of your choice.

Who knew flirting could be so easy?

Be bold.

Try something different.

Add a little flavor to your beauty routine.

Set the mood with your new updo and let your hair do the talking on your next romantic evening alone with the one you love.

“I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach.”  ~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Love to be cheesy and get all fun and festive with your party foods? Well these treats will have you gleaming! Pink, Red, and sprinkles are the name of the game with these treats!

Image Credit 

Hearts

Of course Valentine’s Day is the Holiday of love and hearts are the universal symbol, so you can’t leave them out!  Make these clever heart shaped cupcakes by placing one marble between the cupcake pan and paper cupcake liner.  This trick will indent your cupcakes just enough to turn them into darling hearts.  Then ice to your “hearts” desire!

Use large heart shaped cookie cutters to draw attention to an ordinary pb & j or ham and cheese sandwich.  Tip: Also a great trick for a lunch box surprise.

Chocolate –covered EVERYTHING!

Pretzels, marshmallows on a stick, Oreos, strawberries, bananas, peanut butter sandwich crackers, rice crispy treats… The options are endless.  Just make sure you get the sprinkles on before the chocolate cools or drizzle your treats with beautiful pink icing! Gorgeous and perfect for any guest!

Image Credit 

Ok, you probably would like to see some healthy options here too. So use this simple combination to beautify your Valentine’s Party and offer a little nutrition too.  Chocolate, Strawberry Parfait are a perfect option.  In a pretty clear plastic punch cup, layer first granola, next strawberry yogurt, chocolate yogurt or pudding, followed by another layer of strawberry yogurt, and garnish with a fresh sliced strawberry. Tip: If you need help keeping the layers clean and even use a piping bag to layer the yogurt. Raspberries also make this such yummy goodness.

Drinks

Of course juice boxes are convenient, but try thinking outside the “juice” box. Use heart shaped ice cube trays or gelatin molds to freeze your favorite “red” juice.  Place ice cubes in cup pour lemonade over the top, makes a delicious fruity lemonade and turns ultra slushy as the ice begins to melt.

Image Credit 

Now that you have your treats under control it’s time for a little fun!

There is always pin the arrow on cupid, or jumbo tic-tac- hearts.  And you can find a ton of free coloring sheets online… but I just can’t get enough of this activity!

Image Credit 

Cut hearts from white paper and write love notes and secret messages  or pictures (for younger guests) on them with a white crayon, hide the hearts all over the party area. When the time comes tell your party guests to gather a few hearts and bring back to the party table. Using watercolors let guests paint the hearts they found and reveal the secret Valentine’s Day message.   Put some extra blank hearts aside so your guests can make their own secret messages to give to each other.

Paper crafts are always great at parties because they help keep the cost down so kids can do more than one.  Load up on construction paper, doilies, scrapbook paper, glue, and scissors and let the kids run with it.   Make a heart paper chain, valentine for a loved one,  mobile to hang in their room, or a fun origami heart (pictured above); use glitter pens or beads to add bling to the projects!

Suddenly, I had to stop and fix a sudden and unexpected sweets craving.  Strange.

With that out of the way, I can now share with you how to decorate your own Valentine cookies. Watch out for that mysterious craving, then come back and let me know your favorite ways to decorate cookies.

Instead of piping wording on, try using a stencil and baking spray to mist on the coloring pre-bake (Photo Credit: oskay on Flickr Creative Commons)

Decorate From the Inside Out

Thinking a bit outside the box – or frosting bag, as it were – cookie decorations aren’t limited to icing roses. This is especially true when decorating Valentine cookies. Sprinkle Bakes made some fantastic pinwheel cookies with two layers of dough rolled together, one of them colored pink and flavored with strawberry. With the outside rolled in sprinkles before baking, these are ready to go right out of the oven!

Love messages but not piping? Pictured above, stencils and a baking spray are used to spritz color onto the dough to leave a sweet (or silly!) message for your Valentine.

Everybody has a happy color, right? What’s yours?

Whether you’re planning a quiet dinner at home or a romantic evening out, these playlists feature songs from a variety of genres that are sure to set the mood for whatever you’re planning this Valentine’s Day.

For the Country Music fans:

• God Gave Me You – Blake Shelton
• Breathe – Faith Hill
• Bless the Broken Road – Rascal Flatts
• Lost in this Moment – Big & Rich
• When You Say Nothing At All – Alison Krauss
• It’s Your Love – Faith Hill & Tim McGraw
• Lady Antebellum – Just A Kiss
• Come A Little Closer – Dierks Bentley
• Amazed – Lonestar
• Luke Bryan – I Don’t Want This Night to End

For Pop/Rock/Alternative fans:

• Bryan Adams – The Best of Me
• Seal – The Loneliest Star
• John Mayer – Your Body is a Wonderland
• Colbie Caillat – Fallin’ for You
• Jack Johnson – Better Together
• Come Away With Me – Norah Jones
• Peter Gabriel – The Book of Love
• Lifehouse – cFirst Time
• Eastmountainsouth – So Are You to Me
• Keane – Somewhere Only We Know

For Hip-Hop/R&B fans:

• Justin Timberlake – My Love
• Brian McKnight – Back at One
• Mario – Let Me Love You
• Drake – Best I Ever Had
• Usher – You’ve Got It Bad
• Beyonce – Halo
• Chris Brown – With You
• Ciara – Promise
• Ne-Yo – Sexy Love
• Alicia Keys – No One

Have a favorite love song that you don’t see listed here?  Share your favorite Valentine’s Day songs with us in the comment section.

I have one Valentine’s Day tradition; every year I make a heart-shaped, strawberry cake. They started out as cakes from box mixes. And then as my baking prowess progressed, I began trying my hand at “from scratch” recipes. This year, since cupcakes seem to be “all the rage”, I thought I’d mix things up a bit and do strawberry cupcakes.

As with most new ventures these days, my journey began on Pinterest. After pinning several ideas, I settled on two criteria: the cake part had to use fresh strawberries and there had to be a chocolate element. I settled on these cupcakes from Annie Eats, this frosting from Martha Stewart Living, and these chocolate filigree hearts also from Martha Stewart Living.

What resulted was a moist, creamy, fresh tasting delicacy! The use of the fresh strawberries is the key to making these. And with the addition of the chocolate embellishments, they truly took on the taste of a chocolate covered strawberry!

Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting and Chocolate Embellishments

Strawberry Cupcake Ingredients
(Adapted from Annie Eats)

• 2 ½ cups cake flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• ¼ cup oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups chopped strawberries

Strawberry Cupcake Directions
makes 20-24 cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line cupcake pan with cupcake liners. (Note: If you are using a decorative liner, considered lining that with a plain white cupcake liner. By doing so, your decorative liner will stay bright and colorful instead of blending into the cupcake.)
2. Chop your strawberries into small pieces, set aside.
3. Measure flour, salt and baking soda into a medium bowl. Stir with fork to combine and set aside.
4. Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
5. Add eggs one at a time, mixing on medium speed until incorporated.
6. Add buttermilk, oil and vanilla and beat, mixing on medium speed until mixture is well integrated.
7. Add flour mixture to wet mixture and stir until just combined.
8. Gently stir in chopped strawberries.
9. Fill cupcake wells 1/2 – 2/3 full with batter (more if you want “muffin tops”, I wanted a fairly flat top, so mine were about 1/2 full).
10. Bake for 20 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.
11. Cool completely on a wire rack.

See how to make the frosting and chocolate embellishments on the next page:

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching!

This year Valentine’s Day is on a weekday.

How about making a heartfelt, homemade dinner that is also quick to make?!?

Pizza is the answer.

Making a batch of dough isn’t hard at all, either. It just requires some waiting time while it rises. If you don’t have time for that, you can always buy pre-made dough!

Easy-peasy!

For this Valentine’s Day dinner, you have the option of two pizzas:

• I Love You Pizza
• Heart shaped pepperoni pizza
• Will You Be My Heart-ichoke Pizza
• White artichoke pizza

See how to make them on the next page…

Valentine Coupon Book for Couples

Sometimes we can get caught up with everything going on at work, home and leisure that there doesn’t seem enough time for couples to connect as often as they used to.

Valentine’s Day is a good time to stop for a moment and be a couple again, even if it is for a few hours. Stuck on what to get your significant other this year? Make up a Valentine Coupon book!

Printables include ready made coupons for those who are strapped for time with things such as Dinner and a Movie and Music and Dancing.

If money is a bit tight, get creative with the activities. Dinner and a Movie could mean a picnic in the family room followed by a rented video.

Image Credit: Mirage Flooring

Hardwood floors are absolutely lovely in a home. They look great with almost any décor and can make a small space seem much bigger. In the winter, they stay a bit warmer than tile floors. They are more hygienic than carpeted floors and more durable than linoleum.

For all the positive traits of wood floors, they do have one tiny drawback. They can be tricky to maintain. In order to keep them looking their best, wood floors need to be cleaned often and cared for without the use of harsh chemicals or abrasive tools. Here’s a little guide to help you keep your wood floors in tip top shape – without a lot of hassle.

Choose a mild cleaning solution.

Supermarket shelves are laden with a variety of wood floor cleaners today. Prices range from $5 to $15 for a 32 ounce bottle of cleaner. Though many of them do an excellent job of cleaning, there’s no reason to shell out such big bucks to keep your hardwood floors looking beautiful.

Look no further than your kitchen pantry for an effective wood floor cleaner. For sealed wood floors, use a mixture of ¼ cup white vinegar to 1 gallon water for your wood floor cleaner. If you wish, you can include a few drops of essential oil to add a pleasing scent to your homemade floor cleaner.

To clean unfinished wood floors, try a strong brew of black tea. Around 10 tea bags to 1 gallon of hot tap water should do the trick. Allow the solution to steep for at least 20 minutes before use. The tannins in black tea will naturally clean and brighten a dull wood floor.

Image Credit: Michael Bentley

Select the best cleaning tools for the job.

The most essential cleaning tool for hardwood floors is the classic dust mop. Most dust mops are made from wool or micro fiber and glide easily across a wood floor attracting dust and dirt as they go. They are gentler than a broom and the heads from dust mops can normally be tossed into the washing machine for repeated use. If you prefer a regular broom for the job, make sure it has soft, fine bristles that won’t scratch up your floors over time.

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Valentine’s Day is the day to show those you love how MUCH you love them.. and if you are anything like me I can never think of the perfect gift to do just that! So, over the past couple of years my husband and I have decided to simplify – to do something different than the traditional flowers and chocolate. Here are a few ideas for the men and women in your life that you want to show a little extra love to:

For Him:

1. Books – Nothing says love like a good read! My dad and my hubby are big fans of an intriguing book – from authors like C.S. Lewis and John Grisham. The book by Tim Tebow is something that has been whispered in my ear a few times by my love, so I may have to add that to my “to get” list!

2. Golf – I suppose this would only be a good gift for those you know who actually play golf, but for my husband it is a real treat! Anytime he gets a “free” round, a happy man is he. Maybe you could join your love for a basketball or baseball game, a little frisbee time in the park – just showing an interest in a sport he is passionate about is a great gift.

3. Time Together – A little alone time is something my husband cherishes, so setting aside time to spend together without interruptions (including technology!) is precious.

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