Month: February 2020

Auto Glass Cleaning – Tips for Sparkling Clean Windows and Mirrors

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The windows of your car take a beating from dirt, bugs, bird droppings and other debris. But with a few simple techniques and a little know-how, you can make even the dirtiest windows sparkle. Here's a list of helpful glass cleaning tips to get your windows brilliantly clean – and without leaving behind streaks, scratches, residue or lint.

1. The first step is to choose an auto glass cleaner . Make sure your glass cleaner does not contain ammonia, alcohol or any ingredient that could produce toxic fumes. Beyond the obvious health concerns of inhaling these fumes, consider the impact your automated cleaning products have on the environment. There are car care products on the market that are 100% biodegradable, non-toxic and recyclable that have the same great cleaning power as traditional cleaning products.

2. Any product containing ammonia is a definite no-no when it comes to auto detailing. Ammonia and ammonia fumes cause plastic, rubber, vinyl and leather to dry out, and will damage any tint your windows may have. Do your homework and you will not end up destroying your vehicle's interior while you're trying to clean it!

3. The type of towel you choose to clean your windows with can make all the difference. Choose a high-quality, glass cleaning microfiber towel of at least 300 GSM. Microfiber towels can hold up to eight times their weight in water, are lint-free and will not cause scratches. An electrostatic charge causes dirt and debris to be lifted up and away from the surface, rather than swept across it. Old t-shirts, towels, socks and newspaper are not the best choice when cleaning your car's glass, and will likely cause scratches, streaks and missed spots.

4. If you are cleaning the entire interior of your car, save your windows and rear-view mirror for last to avoid getting stray spray from other cleaning products on your freshly cleaned glass. You can also avoid stray spray by spraying your window cleaner (and other applicable interior auto detailing products) onto the microfiber towel – not directly on the surface.

5. Another factor to keep in mind is the motion you buff with your microfiber towel. While a circular motion may appear to be actively buffing away any streaks from your windows, a straight back-and-forth and then up-and-down motion will ensure that the entire surface has been cleaned and wiped down thoroughly.

6. Remember when cleaning your windows or mirrors to use one towel (or one side of a towel) to wipe the surface clean, and a second to buff the surface to a residual-free shine. Not only do you need two clean towel surfaces per swipe, but per window. The last thing you want to do is spread the dirt and dead bugs that you wiped off of your windshield onto the next window you clean. Make sure you have enough clean towels to avoid contaminating one window with the last one's mess.

7. Avoid cleaning your vehicle's windows in direct sunlight or very …

You Can not Water a Garden With an Empty Bucket

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Self-Care for Women

Women who are around me hear me say this all the time – 'You can not water a garden with an empty bucket.' What does this mean to you? I use it as an illustration to get the point across that women are taking care of work and everyone else and fitting themselves into the little, tiny cracks of time that are leftover – if there are any. So how lush and gorgeous is the garden that gets watered with an empty bucket? Not! How well can you take care of the important people and tasks in your life when your energy bucket is bone dry? Not well, at least not for long. When you are considering your own energy bucket it's important to know what fills it up and what depletes it. Read on to learn the 5 questions to ask yourself so you know how to fill up your bucket.

1. What brings you joy? How much
of what you do during your day brings you joy? How often do you purposely add
joy to your life? For some, work is joy, but for most it's far from it. Make a
list of what it is that brings you joy – a child's smile, dancing, coffee with
friends, sex. Keep it handy, so if you get really overwhelmed you can have a
quick reminder. Joy puts energy in our bucket.

2. What's your natural energy
level? For a woman who is more active in her energy, having a lot of quiet down
time may actually depleted her bucket. If you think of it like a spectrum, with
naturally low energy as a 1 and naturally high energy as a 10, where do you see
yourself? Answer this question as you really are not how you want to be.

3. What
is your current pace? Now that you know your natural energy level, evaluate the
pace of your current energy output. Use the same 1 to 10 scale. Are you a
natural energy 4 going at the pace of a 9? Or are you a natural energy 9, going
at the pace of a 4? Work on getting your face oriented towards your natural
level of energy. We talk a lot about women being way to busy in our world (which
is true), but you can also get too bored. Neither extremes put energy in your
bucket.

4. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Does being around people
energize you or deplete you? If it energizes you then you essentially are an
extrovert. Extroverts fill their bucket by being around people. Introverts
generally recharge by being alone or with one other person. So, if you're an
introverted women who works with a lot of people all day, getting some serious
alone time will help to fill your bucket.

5. How are you maintaining your
machine? Not your car, your computer, or even your IPod – but, your body! Your
body is a big part of …

Back Yard Vegetable Gardens

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Why plant a vegetable garden? The best reason to plant a vegetable garden is that it will supply you with fresh vegetables at little expense. Through canning and quick freezing methods, you will be able to enjoy your produce all year long and through the cold months of winter.

Size of Your Vegetable Garden

The size of your garden will depend on the space you have available, the time you will have to main-tain your garden and the amount of produce that you would like to harvest throughout the season. Do you want a supply of vegetables for the entire year or just enough to enjoy during the summer and fall growing season?

In small gardens, tomatoes are always a necessity. They have so very many uses. With limited space carrots, green beans, onions and peppers are good choices. Where larger areas are available you can include sweet corn, cucumbers and cabbage. If you have only a few favorite vegetables, dedicate your space to them and you will be able to can or freeze them for your enjoyment during long winter months.

Location and Preparation of the Vegetable Garden

A sunny well-drained area is the ideal place to plant a back yard vegetable garden. When you have selected the spot, remove all debris, stones, weeds, and undesirable growth. Make sure the area is free of tree roots, which will interfere with the growth of your garden.

To prepare the soil, start by digging to a depth of 8 to 12 inches, breaking up large clumps. Then thoroughly mix in a bag of prepared fertilizer containing nitrogen, Phosphorus, and potash.

Planting and Caring For the Vegetable Garden

Several days after adding the fertilizer to the soil, you are ready to start planting your seeds. Choose good hy-brid seeds and carefully read and follow the directions on the package. Make sure to plant seeds in straight even rows. Use a line to mark each row and a measuring stick to place the distance between each row. Use the handle of evenly and cover with soil. Then tap down lightly.

Cultivation around plants controls weeds and should be done as soon as they break through the soil. Shallow cultivation is more effective at first to protect the delicate root systems. Watering your vegetable garden to a depth of 5 to 6 inches each week is the correct course when rain fall is not excessive. Mulching the garden with dead leaves, grass clippings or straw controls weeds and moisture.

Keep close watch on your vegetable garden for any insects attacking the plants and for any diseases or fungi appearing on the leaves. It is probably wise for new gardeners to visit a garden center and ask for advice to handle these problems.

With a little perseverance and effort, you can have a steady supply of tasty vegetables grown in your own garden.…

Tips On How To Prepare Your House For a Property Magazine

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Most sellers want their home to be sold immediately with high rates of market value. Well, this is not a miracle as it will probably happen if you will carefully plan for it and if you know how to professionally design your home that will glamorously be presented in the property magazine. With that, every prospective home buyer will firmly get it as their own property. Here are some of the tips on how to prepare your house that will make it irresistible and marketable.

Detach yourself to your house. Think that this is not your house instead it is an item that needs to be sold. Make an internal realization of letting go of your house with your emotions and focus on the idea that soon that property will no longer be yours. Disassociating yourself with your home is not easy especially if you have lived there ever since you were born. But this is indeed needed in order to have a firm decision of selling it immediately.

After that, de-personalize your house through packing up those personal photos and other valuable belongings. Remember that home buyers do not want to see some past personal things because they are distracted to see them in the property. It is better to remove all of those belongings a day before the buyers visit your house. With this, you would expect to hear from them the words "I love to live in this house."

Next is to remove the clutter. Before letting the buyer view your house, you should remove all unnecessary things. In case you have things that you have not used over a year and you do not need them anymore, you may throw them. But it is better to donate them to the needy people. If you have bookcases in your house, better remove them. If you think that it would be more interesting to put something that can attract the buyers, you should put the essential items that are generally used daily. In addition, do not forget to clean everything on the kitchen area. This would add more appeal to the prospective buyers.

Reorganize all features in the bedroom and in the kitchen especially the cabinets and closets. Keep in mind that buyers want to look first at the kitchen and the bedroom. So, with an organized bedroom and kitchen, they will generally conclude that your house is well organized and clean. …

How to Paint a Kitchen Cabinet

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Are you getting tired of how your kitchen looks? Why not try to paint your kitchen cabinets? This not only revitalizes your kitchen but also creates a whole new atmosphere for your kitchen. You do not need to hire professional services to have your kitchen cabinets painted. You can do this on your own. If it sounds complicated, do not be afraid, easy steps can be followed on how to paint kitchen cabinets.

1. Deconstruct your cabinets.

Remove all the doors, knobs, hinges and screws that may interfere with your painting job. Place them in an organized manner so no piece will be lost.

2. Clean all the surfaces that will be painted.

You need to make sure that the surfaces are free from grease, food residue, and other substances that may be stuck on them. Clean with the appropriate cleaner mixed with water and allow drying completely.

3. Sand the surfaces to be painted.

Even if this sees such a tiresome job to do, do not skip this step. This can do wonders for your painting job. This roughens up the surface to be painted on, allowing the paint to adhere to the surface more. Remove all the fine dust after sanding.

Now, this is where you need to know how to paint kitchen cabinets.

4. Apply primer.

Primer is needed as a pre-step in painting. This prepares the surface for painting, creating a surface with a higher adherence to the paint rather than painting the surface alone. Warning! You need to wear protective gear for this step. Wear goggles and disposable gloves to protect your eyes and hands from the harmful effects of the primer. Allow the primer to dry overnight.

5. Paint the cabinets.

Choosing the right paint is important for kitchen cabinets. There are a wide range of paintings available. The best bet are the oil-based paints which gives a shiny gloss after drying. Although there are water-based alternatives, these can also be used depending on what you think works best.

There are several painting materials which you can choose from -rollers, spray nozzles and the good old brush. No matter what you use, the most important thing to remember is a couple of thin coats are better than one thick coat. Allow the first layer to dry and sand the surface lightly before applying the next coat. Do this until the last coat. This ensures that the surface is smooth so the paint finishes perfectly.

5. Reconstruct your cabinet.

Now that the cabinet parts are painted to perfection, it would look better if these were all in one piece. When the paint has completely discharged, it is time to reconstruct everything. Replace all the hinges, screws doors and knobs.

6. Thank yourself for a job well done.

Appreciate the work you have done! Do not you think that you have done a great job in restoring your kitchen cabinets? Now, your kitchen looks brand new and you did it! Enjoy your new kitchen and give …

Codling Moth

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The Codling Moth Trap uses the 'Pheromone' scent of the female moth to attract and catch male moths. Control of this pest in the garden is very difficult using insecticides unless they are applied shortly after egg-laying

When to use the Trap

In most seasons moths fly and mate on warm nights from late May until the end of July, although in some years activity may continue well into August. The trap should be placed in the garden soon after the middle of May. If spring weather is exceptionally warm, or in sentered urban gardens, it may be an advantage to have the traps installed by early May. If in doubt, hang the trap after the petals begin to fall.

How to use the Trap

Assemble the trap. Place sticky insert sticky side up in the base of the trap. The pheromone lure (which looks like a hollow cone of soft rubber) should be removed from the foil sachet and laid in the center of the sticky insert. Ensure that the end flaps are secured.

Note: The lure will release scent from when the sachet is opened – do not open sachet until the lure is needed.

In a garden one trap should monitor up to 5 average size trees with a range of 15 meters (50 feet) of the trap. It should be hung at around head height on the windward side of the tree (or group of trees).

After 5 weeks – replace the sticky insert and lure. Inspect the trap regularly – the Codling Moth is small (about 8mm or 1 / 3rd inch long) dark colored and rests with its wings folded to form a triangular shape.

If you are catching more than 15 moths per week the infestation is high and a suitable spray should be applied a week later. Continue monitoring and if again 15 or more moths are done repeat the treatment.

Remove the trap by the beginning of September and dispose of the lure and sticky insert. The trap should be cleaned and stored. Refill Kits are available allowing the trap to be used for a second season.

Contents: 1 trap with hanging wires,

2 sticky inserts.

2 pheromone lures. …

Scenting A Mood

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Setting a mood takes careful planning, from the lighting in the room to the colors you have chosen and the accessories you use. Scented candles can make all the difference in the world when it comes to transforming your living space into an exotic escape.

From tapers to tea lights and gels to jars, scented candles come in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes to match any room and any mood. Here are just a few examples of what scented candles can do.

The Warmth of Home

The smells of home-baked goodness can transport anyone back in time to the days of their childhood, when mom had a hot apple pie in the oven or a batch of fresh cookies waiting. Somehow these smells invoke a sense of safety and security.

Place candles around your house spotted like French vanilla, warm cinnamon, brown sugar, and candied apples to inspire those same feelings of home.

An Ocean Escape

Allow your imagination to carry you off to a tropical destination by scinging your rooms with the aromas of coconut, pineapple, mango, watermelon, and citrus. Before you can help it, you will be humming Bob Marley tunes in your head.

A Garden Getaway

The elegance of photographed candles not only can fill your home with the sweet smells of nature, but your garden escape can be enhanced by them as well. Whether you want to bathe your patio in decadent candlelight or prefer to bring the smells of your favorite garden into the indoors, you can find decorated candles that will perfectly mimic your favorite flora and fauna.

Immerse yourself in rich fern scents, or wild jasmine. Take a walk through the woods surrounded by the smell of oak, pine, wild moss, and clover leaves.

Or sit in a sunny garden filled with honeysuckle, hydrangea, freesia, orchid, and lilac. Combine the scents with those of fresh fruit such as citrus, and you will have a melody of invigorating scents to ignite your senses.

The Romantic Interlude

The soft glow of candles enhanced by bewitching aromas sets the stage for your most intimate moments. Bask in the glow of rich musk and patchouli, cloves, rose petals, and the more understated yet equally intriguing sandalwood. The indulgence of such sensual aromas is intoxicating.

Freshen the Nursery

There are a variety of candles specifically designed to eliminate odors. A strategically placed candle near the changing table or diaper disposal may just do the trick to keep the baby's room smelling fresh and new.

You can even enhance the wondrous scent of baby powder with candles that smell just like the real thing.

Aromatherapy

Some scents are just good for your physical and mental well-being. Eucalyptus, mint, and sage are not only refreshing for your mind, but can help cleanse your sinuses as well. Use these scented candles to help rid yourself of allergy symptoms or to clear your head when you have a cold.

Candle Sense

When deciding where to place your candles, or how …

9 Ways to Increase Your Home Value

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There are many ways to increase the value of your home. Some of these can be done on the interior and some on the exterior of your house from hiring a contractor for the large jobs to doing the smaller things yourself. You can do a little at a time or all at once. Most people can not afford to have the whole thing done all at once so they can work on it in stages until the whole process is complete.

Your home is your largest investment and needs to be kept in good condition. Current market conditions will play a large role in the price of your house but there are several things you can do to improve your home value.

1. One of the greatest investments you can make is updating your kitchen. New cabinets, countertops, and flooring can have a dramatic effect on the value of your house. If you can not afford those things, sometimes just painting the cabinets and putting new handles on the cabinets and drawers will give your kitchen a fresh, new facelift.

2. You can add decorative moldings to the doors, windows, walls, and floors. They are not that hard to install and can greatly add to the look of any room.

3. Adding a new roof is a good way to increase it's overall market value. There will usually be a 10 or 20 year warranty on the new roof and will add consideration to the value of your house.

4. You can replace your old windows with vinyl windows. This will not only conserve energy but will make the house more beautiful.

5. Painting the inside and outside of your house can completely transform it. For resale value it is better to be conservative in your paint color choices as your taste might not be the same as others.

6. Adding vinyl siding is another great way to update and beautify your house. If you already have vinyl siding you can have it power washed to freshen it up and make it shine.

7. New appliances in the kitchen can make a big difference in the value of your home. A new refrigerator, dishwasher, and stove would be one of the best investments you can make in your remodeling. Also a new washer and dryer, new central air and heat, or a new water heater will also add a lot of value.

8. Replace old carpet. Use new, more modern tile for your kitchen and bathroom floors. It is getting very popular now to put down tile floors in the family rooms also.

9. Good landscaping can also increase your home's value. Weed your flower beds regularly and remove all dead plants and leaves. Keep your lawn well-maintained and manicured.

You can browse through magazines or visit a home improvement store to get ideas for remodeling your home. Remember this is your largest investment and take good care of it. …

Modern Day Housewife

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The older I get, the more I look up to my mother. How did she do it? She had a husband, two daughters, and two jobs. She kept our house clean, made sure we had three meals a day, kept her weight down, and was a manager at one of her jobs. And, throughout my childhood, I never noticed if she was stressed. Now me, on the other hand, sometimes between my two sons and housework and running my online business I feel as if I’m drowning with no life preserver in site. (Can’t somebody please throw me a rope?!) But I keep treading water, wondering if it’ll ever get any easier. (What am I doing wrong here?)

Women these days are expected to do everything. There once was a time when men went to work and women stayed home and maintained the home and children, every now and then throwing dinner parties and playing the perfect hostess to guests. Now, we are expected to have a job and do all I just mentioned. How is this possible? Are there even enough hours in the day? When do we sleep? And unless we have spent our whole childhood preparing to be a mother and a wife, (I wanted to be a rock singer. I had all the moves down pat by age nine.) How do we not lose ourselves in the process?

I believe the secret is to slow down. Everything doesn’t have to be perfect (even if you believe your mother did it that way). Don’t stress over the little things. I mean, what would really happen if you can’t cook the perfect turkey for Thanksgiving? Would all of your friends and family leave? Will your husband hate you? If they do, let them walk. You’d rather order take-out from that nice little French restaurant downtown. (Who really likes turkey?) And, if he hates you? You don’t need that a-hole anyway. You deserve better than that… But, most likely, they will stay because they’re your friends and they adore you. And, he will love you anyway. There’s a reason you married him in the first place. So, stop trying to be perfect.

And, we can’t forget to spend some time doing the things we love. For some of you, it may be baking cupcakes for all of your child’s classmates. For me, it’s a good book, bubble bath, and a glass of wine. We can’t forget to treat ourselves right. Remember? We used to be people, before we became wives and mothers.

I say these things jokingly, to get my point across that we should not forget ourselves in the daily scheme of things. Those pair of earrings that he didn’t buy, even after all the hints you sent all of December? Buy them for yourself. You deserve it. (And sometimes, men are just oblivious. God love ’em.)

And, I think one of the best things to remember, while your are trying to figure out this whole “family” thing, …

Boy's Room Decor- Transforming his Nursery to a Big Boy's Room that will Grow with Him

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Your baby boy is no longer a baby and his room needs to be transformed from a baby's nursery to a big boy's room. You've put hours of thought and attention into decorating his nursery so that it would be perfect for him as an infant and now you want to do the same for him as he grows. But, be careful, you do not want to be updating his room décor every three months as his interests change. And a little boy's interests change often, sometimes overnight. How can you create a room that is perfect for him now, yet will grow with him? Here are some tips to decorating your boy's room to please him now and later:

· Wallpaper and Paint – If you had decorated his baby nursery with wallpaper and now want to remove it, you have discovered it is a lot of effort! For a big boy's room to grow with him, choose wall décor that is easily removed and changed. For painting a boy's room, select a basic color that is not too babyish: basic blue, green or white will provide a solid back for decorating his room.

· Wall Borders – Another alternative to painting or wallpaper is a room border. Be sure to choose a colorful border that will suit him now and in the future. Avoid the popular characters and heroes of today for your permanent wall décor as they will soon be pushed away for a new and better cast of characters. A basic sports border or colorful design will serve you best.

· Wall Décor – This is where decorating gets fun. There are so many selections of wall décor available for a boy's room today that finding colorful, personalized wall décor is easy and fun. Keep in mind wall décor can be easily removed and updated as your son grows and his interests change. Be creative in your wall décor selections by seeking out unusual artwork such as growth charts, intrate picture frames, treasure maps or artistic renderings of our world.

· Rugs – Even if your carpeting is bland and non-descript, your child's floorspace can be transformed into a fun place to play. Children's rugs can be moved, changed and folded, allowing another area where you can keep your boy's room décor updated as he grows. Children's rugs are one place you can indulge his delights at any point in time. A Scooby-Doo rug can be tossed side and replaced by a baseball rug easily.

· Children's Furniture – As you will likely not want to be investing in new furniture for your child every year, you will want to choose a boy's furniture that will suit him now and not become outdated as he grows. Select furniture that is sturdy and high-quality. A traditional, classic style can be made more exciting through a creative use of boy's room accessories such as funky clocks, cool lighting and lamps, decorative dresser knobs and fun outlet covers. Boy's …