So This Is Christmas

Merry Christmas is such an infectious feeling I like to feel that way all year around.

So if you are visiting just before Christmas, just after Christmas or even here on Christmas day I am sure you will find something of interest for you and in the spirit of Christmas.

It may be said that Christmas is no longer a celebration but this must be spoken by people that have never had trouble closing their eyes on Christmas Eve in an expectation of what maybe left for them on the carpet under the tree.

I continue to look forward to the surprise on my Grandchild's faces to this day at Christmas events.

Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas

Sunday, June 28, 2009

What You Need To Know About DIY Basement Remodeling

By Casey Torren

Are you in search for for DIY basement basics? Then you have come to the right place. Working on a basement on your own does not have to involve a complex process. This article will show you the basics on repairing, remodeling and redecorating the basement on your own.

The first step is to repair any damage or leakage problems that exist in your basement. You would not want to start remodeling and adding decorative articles in your basement and risk damage to your furnishings and carpets due to a leak in the wall or flooring. Even a small leak can lead to bigger problems"oftentimes, a small crack in the wall can even result in flooding.

Do not underestimate the damaging effects of moisture. If you have considerable moisture in your basement, you may not even be able to finish your basement. Moisture is the element that prevents homeowners from successfully completing there DIY basement projects. Minor moisture issues can be solved with water-lock paint, and cracks can be closed with special caulking or hydraulic cement. Moreover, you can use a subfloor to elevate your flooring and keep it dry. You could also find some assistance from some companies to assist you in sealing cracks and holes in your basement, as waterproofing your basement is the first and most important thing that needs to be done even before you start on your DIY refinishing project.

Your basement holds a lot of possibilities. Think about utilizing the space for purposes which typical basement trademarks offer natural advantages. For instance, the typical darkness of a basement can actually be helpful when establishing a home theater.

The next step is to gather design ideas and remodel your basement. For walls and flooring, acoustic tiles will provide you with easier access to utilities of the rest of the home and enable a calming effect. The walls have to be enclosed in drywall. Incorporate more security and durability to the cement blocks in the space by bonding them. Attach the baseboards and wainscoting by utilizing a good quality poly adhesive to seal the wall from dings and scrapes and encourage an attractive finish. The windows can be substituted with thick glass squares that will allow for more natural outside light into the interior space as well as safety.

The next part is working on the flooring of your basement. Whatever you choose for your flooring, the floor should be warm and not like the usual cold cement flooring of basements (that is if you are not purposefully using colder flooring for specific purposes). Generally, the flooring has to be kept dry.

Keep air circulation in mind as well. When remodeling your basement, you need to consider the need for good air circulation and incorporate openings where necessary. Consider applying a return air duct, but just to be safe, include a carbon monoxide detector in your basement. You may want to add heating and cooling systems and fans.

Next, think of an appropriate lighting. The majority of basements have very little lighting. If you have a low ceiling, you may go for can lights, which are often preferred in DIY basement remodeling projects. Can lights offer a considerable amount of light, and they are positioned nicely up into the space between floor joists of the level above.

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This Year Your Seadoo PWC Cover Looks Count!

By John A Moore

Seadoo PWC covers are almost never discussed amongst the most serious racers. But that is not to say they aren't important amongst the most serious racers. Each serious athlete seems to think their seadoo pwc cover is an extension of the machine which is an extension of them. A sleek cover means they are a sleek rider. However, no one admits to thinking this way. Most riders are keen to get on the water to demonstrate their skills but none would show up with a shabby or worn out seadoo cover. Earlier this year I sent out an email to competitors telling them I was looking for content for my blog on seadoo covers. As a lark, one of the competitors suggested having a seadoo cover beauty pageant after Saturday's races. The rest is history.

A lot of racers are proud but quiet about their choice of seadoo cover. Most riders prefer to make their statements on the water. That said, I know amongst my closer racer friends that the look of their covers is very important and a source of unspoken pride at tournaments. I know that some of the better racers (with sponsor money) have new seadoo pwc covers for every season.

By Saturday morning no one had entered the contest. I reckoned it would be a last minute decision for many of the racers. After all, everyone needed to concentrate on the real reason they were at the tournament in the first place. I reckoned that once the competition was over the riders might be interested in a little bit of fashion fun.

Saturday afternoon I went to look for the organizer and when I found him I was told that no one had entered the competition. I was disappointed but not surprised. The competitors were standing around in small groups getting reacquainted and I noticed some small talk about the cover contest. Some of the racers were saying that they had no intention of entering the contest but if they were so inclined they would be sure to win. As the afternoon drew to a close the claims of having the hottest cover became more insistent. It was decided that relatives ( read: girlfriends, boyfriends, children or spouses) could enter the seadoo covers on behalf of the athletes.

Once family was permitted to enter, we got 4 or 5 contestants immediately. There was a clear sentimental favorite as it was presented by a dancing 5 year old. The custom details were vines and roses as the watercraft was based out of Roses Marina. The cover itself was a light green water resistant material with thick darker green stitching.

We all agreed that it was a fun addition to the tournament. Some of the competitors were already talking about the covers they might design over the winter months in preparation for next year's beauty contest. I didn't bring my camera to the tournament so don't have any pictures to post. The tournament was a lot of high energy racing with good friends and had the added addition of featuring seadoo pwc covers.

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Will Turbulence Training Aid Fat Loss?

By Kara Hills

Almost all of us have that same problem: how do we get in shape? We always hate it when we see our love handles and flabby arms but when it comes to doing the actual work, we always find some alibi to get out of it.

The most popular excuse is that we are just to busy, or were always tired when we get the free time. But what will you say if I tell you that there is a program that promises results after just 45 minutes of working out for three days in a week.

But there is a new exercise program that is very popular in the internet that promises results with just 45 minutes of exercise. Turbulence Training is an intense workout that was designed by Craig Ballantyne that promises to increase your metabolism in just a matter of minutes.

Craig Ballantyne is a fitness expert whose name has graced numerous magazines like Mens Health and Oxygen Magazine. Even Jillian Michaels of the famous show The Biggest Loser uses the Turbulence Training routine in the show. So, you are assured that this program was put together by a person who knows what hes doing.

Turbulence Training uses superset training which is a combination of upper body training and lower body training to complete one set. Every time you do one set in the work out, you are in reality doing two.

Craig Ballantyne has wisely chosen the appropriate exercise routines to make the Turbulence Training so that its followers can increase their metabolism for 24 to 48 hours.

That means that your body will have the capacity to burn fat for up to two days. Turbulence Training also includes seven different workout routines which you will stick to for four weeks. So that your body keeps on responding to the workout routines, you will have to change your exercise for every 4 weeks.

But dont think that just because you are sweating everything out means that you can also pop anything and everything you wish inside your mouth. The program will allow you to take a look at your diet and suggest a healthier one. With its simple to use calorie calculator, once you get your dream body it will never be hard to keep it.

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Work Better With Anti-Fatigue Mats

By Bart Icles

Just when you think that you know all about what a good old mat can do, you get surprised by another type of usage for it. If you still do not know, mats are also used for anti-fatigue purposes. I, for one, have taken mats for granted for a very long time, but now, I now know how important they are for everyday use, not only for cleaning and maintenance purposes but for other purposes as well.

Anti-fatigue mats, as their name implies, reduces fatigue, especially for workers who are working for long hours standing up. Since working this way can cause sore feet, back strain, and leg cramps, using mats that have a cushiony effect whoever will be standing over them is the perfect solution to getting rid of these nuisances.

There are different types of anti-fatigue mats out in the market today and you should be able to choose the one that would be the most appropriate for the environment that you are going to use them for. If you are just going to just use them for your home, to suit aesthetics needs and, at the same time, be able to perform as anti-fatigue mats, use carpets that have rubber backings to make sure that they are washable and that they will be able to withstand many washings.

If you are planning to use the anti-fatigue mats in an industrial setting, on the other hand, it is impractical to use carpet ones since usually, industrial places are full of dirt and grime that are hard to clean. It is best to use rubber ant-fatigue mats for these areas because they are easy to clean. All you need to do is to hose them down along with some detergent and they are good to go again. Also, they are able to suit their purpose since rubber anti-fatigue mats are cushiony.

Nowadays, gel-filled anti-fatigue mats are already in existence as well. Yes, I am not kidding. They are more expensive, though, because of the gel and the material that is used to be able to hold them together and to avoid any mess.

For practical, everyday usage, what I can advice you to buy are anti-fatigue mats that are easy to clean. Examples of these are the carpet with the rubber back as well as vinyl ones with cushions inside. Make sure, though, that they are of high quality so that they will be able to last a very long time. Nowadays, we need to be practical, right?

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Announcing Your New Bundle ofJoy with a Photo Birth Announcement

By Hiann Basse

The birth of a new baby is something that is magical and exciting each and every time it happens. It is normal that you would want to shout your news to the world, and show off that precious bundle right away.

You can do just that quite simply when you choose Photo Birth Announcements. Birth announcements have been around for years, but adding a photo to them is starting to become the most commonly chosen style. The hardest part will be choosing the photo you would like to use, and the wording that you would like to announce your news with. Once you make your decision, you can have the company that you are ordering from ship you your envelopes early so that they are filled out before you get busy with that new baby.

The wording is going to be an important part of your announcement. After all, this is what will tell everyone who that beautiful baby is and all the little details of the birth. Photo Birth Announcements are so beautiful that most of the time the wording chosen is simple such as name, birth date and time, weight, and length. Some people choose to add the siblings' names, if any, to the closing with the parents' names as well. If simple wording isn't what you had in mind for your announcement, don't worry. There are plenty of wording ideas you can choose from so that your baby's birth announcement is personal and unique.

You can find custom wording ideas for Photo Birth Announcements in a number of places. One idea is to scroll through various announcements to see if you like something, or find a website that offers wording ideas. If you have a talent for writing, maybe you can come up with the wording yourself.

Photo Birth Announcements are the greatest way to announce a new baby, and the wording can be as little or a lot as needed. You can really get creative and fun, or keep it classic and traditional. Whatever you choose will be sure to show off your new baby, and will reflect your own personal style and taste.

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Why Can't You Buy A Solar Hot Tub?

By Patty Kopner

Solar power is good for supplying energy but will it work for heating a hot tub? A hot tub needs constant energy to keep the water warm and so if you live in a place where there is a lot of sun, perhaps the sun could be used to heat it. Unfortunately, while this sounds like a good idea, in practicality it doesnt work too well.

The first problem is that not enough people live in a place that gets constant sun. Only the desert states have that amount of sunlight and that is not enough demand for this type of hot tub for manufacturers to make money. Also, since there would be no sunlight at night, you would still have to keep the water hot during those dark hours. This would mean that the hot tub would have to run on electricity as well.

If you wanted to you could buy solar panels and figure out a way to connect them to the power source for the hot tub. Solar panels are not cheap though, and the energy savings that you would realize may not be enough to justify the project. Likewise, if manufacturers did make hot tubs that ran on solar power they might cost more than people are willing to pay. Everything has to be done on a supply and demand basis and it is just not cost effective to make solar hot tubs.

A solar hot tub cover is something you may want to buy that will help with keeping the water warm. You can get covers that have solar cells on them and the help transfer energy to the water and the cover also helps prevent heat from escaping. It is possible to find this kind of cover at places online and you might be able to find something like this at a local store. However, not too many places sell solar cells, panels, or covers.

Heating a hot tub with solar energy is something that has not been perfected yet to make it a viable option. For this reason, if you want one you will need to figure out how to make your own. At best it seems, the sun can be used to help heat the water but not as a stand-alone power source. Saving money and helping the environment can go hand in hand some times but in this case with hot tubs the technology is not available yet at a cheap enough price.

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Gift Ideas For Mother's Day: Lockets

By Rashel Dan

Lockets, aside from being heirlooms, are great gifts. They can be passed down from mother to child for many generations. Let's talk more about lockets and some gift ideas to go with them for Mother's Day.

Lockets are typically worn with chains to be placed around the neck. They usually contain a photo, which could either be of the giver, the receiver or both. However, lockets aren't only worn around the neck. Today, there are so many kinds of lockets you'll find available, and not just those with the classic design. There are even now lockets that come as a charm bracelet, and this can be worn all the time and anywhere. Lockets are great gift ideas because they come in a wide range of shapes like hearts, circles and ovals. Lockets can also be made of various materials such as silver and gold. Lockets aren't just intimate gifts, but they are also considered decorative.

Prepare your Photo - Now if you plan to buy a locket for mom to receive on Mother's Day, consider what photo and how many you are going to place in the locket. Lockets often hold just a single photograph or two. However these days you can have a locket specially made to hold more than 5 pictures! You may also choose to have spinner lockets that are able to spin freely while hanging from the necklace. This is a very vintage style that your mom might be fond of.

Other Ideas - Photographs aren't the only things that a locket can contain. There are so many gift ideas out there specifically for lockets. You may purchase a locket with a tiny cushion inside, where you can place some perfume inside so that each time the wearer opens the locket, she can enjoy a sweet aroma.

Personal Touch - There are lots of ways to personalize your Mother's Day gift. Take for example the secret locket gift idea. You can hide secret messages at the back of a photo that's to be placed in the locket. You can right a simple message to mom that says "Happy Mother's Day" or write a short poem! Or you can even write on a tiny scroll and keep it in the locket to surprise mom.

Designs - There are other special designs available as fantastic gift ideas. Lockets may come with a glass opening so that the inside is visible even when it isn't opened. These lockets are sometimes preferred because they are quite durable. They don't need to be opened for you to view a picture, and so will last for years to come.

Buying Your Locket - Now that you know a little bit about lockets and how they make great gift ideas, learn how to choose the best one for mom to receive on Mother's day. There are just two things to consider when buying a locket to make as a gift. First, think about something that will make the locket intimate, like a photo or message.

The style is another thing you need to consider. What design do you think your mom prefers? She might like simple lines and elegance, in which case you can get her a plan heart locket with a single diamond stud in the middle. If she's more into intricate designs, you may buy a Victorian style locket. As you can see, there are so many gift ideas for Mother's Day when it comes to lockets.

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Find How to Go for Holidays Cheap

By Alison Bel

If you are planning for a beach vacation on a tight budget you may have to consider the factors like booking tickets, hotel, food and other expenses you make at the time of vacation. Following is a detailed explanation on various factors that are to be well organized to enjoy a successful beach vacation on a tight budget.

Select a vacation spot that fits your budget: Before you select a particular beach spot, do well research and identify the available options. For a particular spot research on areas like the cost of the accommodation, as it is a beach vacation never neglect to assess the quality of the childrens programs and the help offered in cases of emergency, family activities organized and the beach atmosphere. Internet is a best option to collect information. Some of the beach resorts for people with tight budget include the Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas, Disneys Vero Beach Resort, Fla, Hilton Hawaiian Village, Honolulu, Rio Mar Beach Golf Resort Casino and Spa, Puerto Rico and many more.

Time of vacation: If you plan for a vacation during the off season you can grab excellent deals. So be flexible and plan accordingly. You can save even more if you make your booking directly rather than engaging a travel agent. Even for your journey, book the tickets well ahead. Avoid any last minute plans. Another aspect you should check is the cancellation terms. If anything unexpected comes up and should drop your trip know the extent of cancellation charges you will be charged and other refund terms. Selection of the resort for accommodation: Book the room for your stay well ahead. You can save a good amount by selecting a room without a beach view. But if you wish to have, do not compromise, and try to cut your other expenses.

Dining: As it is a family vacation it is better to select a hotel with kitchen associated. Though selecting such hotels is costlier you can save a good amount of time and money in the long run. Kids feel very hungry and cannot wait so if you have to go out and dine; it is a time taking process and will also cost much. Another best option is to know some local stores and purchase some sausages from there which will be highly saving. It even avoids the hassle of going to some other place to dine thrice a day and also saves the transportation expenses you may have to spend to reach the hotel.

Shop cleverly: As you have planned your vacation long before, sort out the things you need and purchase them at your place. Generally at beach stations you will be charged heavy amount of taxes, so reduce the extent of purchasing basic needs. I do not suggest you to avoid shopping items that you love but just be wise. Try to restrict the use of credit cards as you will not have an account of your expenses, use either travellers checks or debit cards.

Thus, through efficient planning you can have a wonderful beach vacation within your tight budget.

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If You Are Unable To Be There But Want To Show You Love Them Then Send -