Home and Garden Diva

I need a better fitness routine in the winter

The Diva — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:34:43 +0000

Now that winter is here I find that I’m not getting as much exercise as I was when the weather was nicer. I really have to work on some kind of indoor routine that will help me stay in shape during the winter months.

I do have some fitness equipment that I use occasionally. I have an elliptical machine upstairs in one of our very tiny small bedrooms, and I also have a balance ball, and some small hand and leg weights that I use when I’m exercising to a fitness DVD or with my Wii.

The trouble is I don’t do it as often as I should. I guess I prefer getting my exercise outdoors. You know, taking long walks with the dog, biking, swimming, or even doing yard work or work in the garden. Believe me, when I garden it’s exercise as I spend hours working in the garden beds at a time!

What do you do for exercise in the winter? Do you go to a gym or work out at home or does your routine falter like mine once the weather outside turns bad?

So many people battling cancer

The Diva — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:11:20 +0000

It seems like I keep hearing about cancer almost every single day. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if researchers finally found a cure for all cancers?

A long time neighbor of ours just died of cancer last week. He’d been sick for some time, but I was still sad to hear that he’d passed away.

I also keep hearing about stars and even political figures who have cancer. The star of one of my favorite shows “Dexter” is fighting cancer right now, and I just got an email from our local Member of Parliament, Jack Layton, stating that he’s got prostate cancer. At this point I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that someone I know if fighting the rare cancer mesothelioma although I certainly hope that I don’t hear anymore news of cancer striking friends or family.

Do you find that you’re hearing about more friends, family or even your favorite television or movie stars having cancer?

I hate getting stuck in slow lines

The Diva — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:13:49 +0000

Don’t you hate when you go out shopping and you get stuck in the slow line at the cash?

That happened to me earlier today. I went out this afternoon to do some shopping and after I’d picked out my items at the store I got in line to pay for my items. There was only one person ahead of me so I thought I’d get out of the store quickly. Boy was I wrong!

It’s not that the person ahead of my was slow – counting pennies or anything like that. No. You see the cashier was trying out a new bar code scanner … a Symbol LS2208 or something like that, and the manager was with her as she tested out the new equipment.

From what I could tell the scanner was working fine, but the manager kept making her use it over and over again, redoing the person ahead of me’s bill etc. Before I knew it I had a line of complaining people behind me who were also tired of waiting in line.

It would have been nice if the manager picked a quieter time in the store to test out the new scanner.

All the time I was standing in that line I kept worrying that my parking meter’s time was going to run out. It would figure I’d get a ticket … luckily that didn’t happen though. I made it back to the car just two minutes before the meter ran out.

Trying to decide if we should hook up an iPod to our home theater system

Time to use the steam cleaner in the bathroom

The Diva — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:32:57 +0000

In early January I bought a general purpose steam cleaner. It’s a Shark model. I’ve only had a chance to use it once so far and the results weren’t quite as good as I was expecting.

One my first attempt using the steam cleaner I went after the backsplash tiles in the kitchen, the stove and the fridge. The cleaner worked great on the stove and the fridge. It really got the grime out of the corners and crevices on both appliances.

The backsplash tiles in the kitchen were another matter. I used the scrubbing attachment on the steamer to try to clean the grout area between the tiles and while the grout did look cleaner where I worked at it they didn’t look anywhere near as clean as I’d hoped.

I guess I was hoping that using the steamer once on the tiles would remove years of grime that had built up on the grout. I guess I’m going to have to get some kind of grout cleaner to clean the grout between the backsplash tiles and then I can use the Shark Steamer to maintain the clean look.

One my next attempt to use the Shark steamer I’m going to tackle the bathroom. The grout in the bathroom isn’t that bad, but it could use a good cleaning. What I really want to clean in there is the silicone seal between the tub and the shower wall tiles. It looks like it has mildew in some areas and the steamer should at least help kill the mildew … and hopefully remove it too.

Actually almost all of our upstairs bathroom is tile of some kind or another. The tub/shower area is tiles up to the ceiling and then the walls have tile that goes from the ground up to about 4.5 feet in height. (our Kitchen is like that too .. I guess the former home owners really liked tile?). The bathroom floor has those tiny square floor tiles and yes, the grout between those tiles could use a very good cleaning too.

Hopefully I’ll find the time this weekend to get the steam cleaner out and try it out in the bathroom. It’s a shame that I’ve only used it once since I bought it.

Do you have a general purpose steamer that you use to clean the bathroom, tiles, appliance and perhaps even the floor? If so, what kind do you have and are you happy with it’s performance?

Trying to decide if we should hook up an iPod to our home theater system

The Diva — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:12:08 +0000

My husband and I decided to buy a new TV … oh about three weeks ago. Since that time we’ve been waiting for our new Plasma to come into the store. Sad that you have to wait so long for a new TV these days isn’t it?

We bought a new TV because our 2004 DLP TV seems to be dying. We think there might be something wrong with the DMD board as the picture just freezes and goes black and white every now and then (about once a week). We know our DLP’s days are numbered!

We decided to replace the DLP rather than repair it because in the 6 years that we’ve owned it we’ve had to replace the light bulbs two or three times, had to replace the color wheel – at a total cost for all of these items of about one thousand dollars! Fixing the DMD board would cost approximate 800 to 1000 dollars … we just can’t see pouring more money into this TV. So we’ll put it in the basement and use it occasionally until it finally dies.

So … while we’re waiting for our new TV to come in (the store says it will be in on Friday!) we bought and hooked up a new home theater system. Lets just say that hooking up the new home theater system to the DLP wasn’t a piece of cake! It took hours and hours! Tested our marriage a bit too. LOL

Anyway …now the system is working and when we get the new TV we should only have to move a few wires (components) from one TV to the other and hopefully everything will work just fine.

One nice thing about the new home theater receiver is that we can hook up a special iPod dock to it and play music from the iPod through the receiver. We do have a 200 disk carousel CD player hooked up to the receiver but it’s old and I’m sure we’d get better sound if we used an iPod … or rather my husband is sure of that.

Of course … we don’t have an iPod (or the accessory docking station) so I spent a little bit of time earlier today looking at the various versions of ipods. I think if we’re going to buy one I’d get a classic iPod that has 160 GB of storage. We have a LOT of music on the computer and on CD’s – enough that we’d probably come close to filling up a classic iPod.

So before we go out and spend another $350 to $400 getting an iPod and the special docking station that works with our Yamaha receiver let me ask you a question – Have any of you run your iPod through your Home theater system? If you have, how is the sound?

The reason I’m asking is, if it’s not going to make a huge sound difference we might as well keep using our 200 disk CD carousel until it dies on us too. However, if there’s a major sound improvement (like full true 5.1 sound) we might go ahead and splurge to make our sound system complete.

Thinking of ways to make extra money – maybe a second job?

The Diva — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 01:14:24 +0000

I know that the economy is supposed to be getting better, but we’re still feeling the crunch here.

I’ve been off work, on medical leave, for over five years now. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long, but my Crohn’s disease just won’t settle down. I wish it would! I’m an ER nurse and believe it or not, I love my job.

My husband also works in the hospital. He’s an OR day surgery attendant. Unfortunately … the hospital is over budget this year and my husband has to go through 3 sets of rolling layoffs. He’s already had his first two weeks off do to these lay offs and he’s going to have to be off work for two weeks in March and June.

That’s going to hit us hard.

I do make some money via the internet as I have a number of blogs and websites and I allow advertising on them, so it’s not like I’m not bringing in any income while I’m on medical leave, but we need my husbands salary to round out things and keep us afloat.

I’m sure we’re not the only ones in this position.

My husband has started to think about trying to find a job that he can do on the weekends or evenings. Many many years ago he used to work part time for catering companies – as a bartender and or waiter. He made pretty good money doing that and the tips were great so he might look into getting back into that – especially for the four weeks that he’s going to be laid off in the coming months.

He also has been a guitar player since he was nine. He’s very good and he also plays 13 other instruments. He’s often thought about teaching others to play guitar so he’s trying to find a way to get some students.

Are times tough in your area? Have you been thinking of ways to make some extra money? Perhaps you’re working two or more jobs?

I’d love to hear how you’re getting by in this tough economy.

The First Tasks in Painting a Room

The Diva — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 22:45:18 +0000

Getting started on a new project is always the hardest part. One major reason for that, especially in the case of painting your house, is the knowledge barrier. There’s just so much to know to get the job done right. Read on and conquer the challenge between you and your home’s new look.

Color and Type Selection

Selecting the color and type of paint is number one on the list.

That’s a little harder than it sounds. You will need to find out whether you want oil or latex-based paints. Oil is generally preferred outside for its long lasting quality. Latex is often chosen indoors since it makes for easy clean up of stains. But there is no rule that applies all the time. For example, an interior room that gets lots of sunshine all day long will generally do better with an oil or alkyd-based paint.

Choosing a color is easier – if one person makes the choice. Apart from arguments over preference, there is still the difficult task of picking among lots of different shades. Many of them blend into one another and it can be hard to visualize the final result. Starting with a color palette on the computer is ok, but graduate quickly to a booklet of samples. The colors you seen on your laptop screen will be very different when they get on your wall.

Prep Work

Make sure you give yourself enough time to do the preparation work.

Painting, whether exterior or interior, is 80% preparation. Though you can paint large areas with a roller or sprayer quickly, there are always a hundred surfaces you don’t want painted. That means masking, laying down plastic or tarp, and other time-consuming preparation tasks. Another key thing to remember to do is move all of your modern furniture out of the room, or at least cover it with drop cloths to avoid spilling paint on it.

There’s another type of preparation work that may take a little or a lot of time, depending on your surface. An exterior wall or trim can become cracked, oxidized and suffer other effects. Interiors can require patching of dents or holes, scrapes and similar defects. Going to all the expense and trouble of painting your house makes the extra work to do the prep worthwhile. That is, if you want the final result to look as close to new as possible.

Materials

Gather your materials.

Painting looks simple. But professionals earn their money in part because they know what the job takes and they have the tools to do it.

Paint and paint brushes or rollers are only two of the most obvious things you’ll need. But prep work may require sanding blocks and sandpaper, wood putty, spatulas and more. Painting requires either a complete spray kit or pans with stirring sticks~Painting requires either a total spray kit, or roller pans with stir sticks}. Thinner for oil-based paints is a must to remove ‘accidents’ and get paint to the desired consistency. Just be sure if you get a spray kit, that you fully cover up your contemporary furniture, or you will regret it afterwards if you have to clean it.

But, once you have the basics down, and the prep work out of the way, the painting job can go by fast and easily. Not only do you save money by doing it yourself, but you get the satisfaction of seeing it done well, knowing you did it. Just flatten that knowledge hurdle and you’ll be jumping for joy.

Bedroom Lighting Guidelines

The Diva — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 22:45:17 +0000

Good bedroom lighting considers a careful mixture of practical and psychological factors. The average bedroom has so many different uses – relaxation, intimacy, study, morning preparation – that covering them all can be tricky.

We associate the bedroom with, among other things, sleep. That usually means no lights at all. This says that turning them off should not be a difficult thing to do. If you’ve been lying in bed reading it can be inconvenient to turn them off, especially if you’ve grown sleepy. A main control switch within reach is a great thing here.

That nighttime reading can be a hurtful on the eyes, causing fatigue and headaches. Banish the problem by installing lights in the proper places with the correct color.

Color? Does that mean you should get pink or blue light bulbs? No. Color, here, means ‘color temperature’. Good reading lights are designed to emulate the range of wavelengths given off by natural sunlight, which is determined in part by the temperature of the sun’s surface. Humans’ eyes evolved to be sharpest under those conditions. Getting bulbs and lamps labeled as close to that will provide comfortable reading conditions.

But sometimes, you just want a pleasant ambiance, not a practical light. That, too, should be thought about when coming up with the lighting scheme for the bedroom.

To provide a cheery atmosphere that also provides needed light to tie shoes, connect a tricky clasp, brush hair or do any other common task, place lamps appropriately. Here again keep the light above the eyes, but let it shine directly down. In a home with modern furniture its also important to make sure the light style matches the modern seating selected. Raising it too high creates deep shadows that can hinder makeup application, make clothing color judgment more difficult and so on. Too low and it gets in your eyes, making those chores harder. Choose a pleasing middle level.

Select and place lamps about a foot higher than where your eyes are, and allow them to reflect light off surfaces. That provides the well-known indirect light effect that gives a subdued atmosphere. Whether for romance or just a quiet time away from distractions, that produces a calming effect that is just right in the bedroom.

Morning time is when most people, both kids and adults, will be up and preparing to meet the day. But, depending on the time of the day and season of the year, the sun doesn’t always cooperate to provide the illumination needed. The way the house is oriented makes a big difference, too, so do any wall hangings, curtains or overhangs.

For overall illumination – for entering the room, vacuuming and a hundred other common tasks – a broad ambient lighting scheme is needed. A house with contemporary furniture can really benefit from a creative lighting style. A central fixture with a strong lamp and a diffusing cover is often just the thing. For additional bedroom deisngs additional lighting pieces will be needed. There are often many corners, nooks and other places in a bedroom where deep shadows can hide.

For all of the above applications a dimmer switch, or at least multi-level bulbs, can allow for finer control of light and shadow. They can also allow for some small electricity savings if the light stays on for extended periods. A 300-watt halogen bulb can contribute a chunk to the monthly bill. Dimming it when lower illumination is enough slices that down.

Consider all the ways you use your bedroom and light accordingly.

No related posts.

Unique Ideas for Baby Shower Scrapbooking Layouts

The Diva — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 22:44:24 +0000

A baby shower is one of the most important events in a mother’s life, and of course she will want to find orginal baby shower scrapbooking layouts to capture her memories. All those cute presents and all the friends and relative that gather should be remembered and some baby shower scrapbooking layouts can be just the thing for that! Are you looking for more scrapbooking techniques?

There are many different paper packs and templates that you can buy for scrapbooking a baby shower. Many scrapbook companies put together pages that are set with frames for photos, cute sayings, and everything you need to make a baby scrapbook page. If you’re new to scrapbooking or aren’t creatively gifted then these baby shower scrapbooking layouts can be the right thing for you. All that’s needed are those pictures! But some people aren’t interested in having their pages already designed for them but still are a bit overwhelmed with what to do when it comes to making up their own baby shower scrapbooking layouts.

Many people use the traditional baby colors of pink and blue for their layouts, but you can really use any colors you like. Strong colors of autumn such as chocolate brown, rusty red, and warm yellow are favorites for many women when it comes to baby shower scrapbooking layouts. One reason for this is that these colors are somewhat neutral and a bit easier on the eyes than strong blues, but aren’t as washed out as pink can sometime seem. You might also try these same colors but in primary shades, meaning red, blue and yellow.Baby toys are often in primary colors making these a good choice for baby shower scrapbooking pages.

Get creative with the christmas scrapbooking quotes and the fonts you use. Many opt for “childish” fonts that resemble the writing of a child but there’s no need to do this if you prefer something more elegant or something simpler. You can put the child’s name or a simple phrase such as “Baby Boy” or “Baby Girl” across the top of any baby shower scrapbooking layouts and some simple wording underneath in a smaller font for a nice touch. Try using cricut machine 29 to create your letters. And remember that you don’t need to work the word “baby” into your layouts – try words like Love, Welcome, Family, and Cherished.

No related posts.

Is a Tankless Water Heater For You?

The Diva — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 22:44:23 +0000

The demand water system is a superior choice than the conventional water heater system. Why? Consider a some of the facts.

Possibly you have been downstairs in your basement and it looks like the ancient hot water heater belongs in the garbage. Though a lot of folks used to think that a tankless water heater would not work as well as the other types of tank heaters, they were proved wrong when they enjoyed for themselves the various benefits of employing a tankless water heater. Many were surprised how easy a tank less water heater is, and as a result made the choice from a tank based hot water heater.

With this type of water heating system, a large volume of hot water is available as needed instead of storing it in a tank. That way homeowners will not have to worry about all that warm water sitting in there needing to be warmed up over and over. Finally, a tankless water unit can reduce your heating costs and won’t leak like standard tank units.

Another benefit with an electric hot water heater is that the homeowner can free up a good amount of space in your house for other things, such as extra storage. The tankless hot water heater can save the homeowner on the water bill too, no more waiting for hot water. An additional reason why plenty of homeowners are considering the tankless water unit is safety. Since it is a smaller device, there is a reduced chance of getting burned by extra hot water.

So, when the time comes to look for a updated water heater for your house, consider installing a demand water unit. With the advantages considered here, you can understand why using a tankless water heater is definitely more practical than using outdated technology. Be sure that you compare prices and benefits of the varied types of water heaters before you arrive at a purchasing decision. Major manufactures of tankless systems include Titan tankless water heaters and Rheem tankless options. Value oriented homeowners can start their search on the Internet for the correct type of demand water heater systems.