Mobiles and GPS

What are the things you can't do without? Personally, I can only remember a time when people were loaded with pagers/beepers and only a few were with mobiles. Currently, just about everyone owns at least one mobile, some even a handy GPS. A Global Position Gadget replaces a traditional map and can prove to be a traveler's treasure.

Houseplants and Repotting

You can tell that it is time to repot your root bound plants by tapping the plant out of the pot and inspecting the rootball and it has become very thick.

You should repot and transfer the plant to a one size larger pot or else over watering is encouraged and could later result to its premature death.

If you happen to be leaving your house for a vacation, you would like to keep it health by watering it wall before you leave and completely enclose them in a clean plastic bag. Make sure you tie it securely at the top and the bottom. This will keep the plant hydrated for at least a month. Make sure to place the plant in northern light. Untie the top as soon as you return, but do not completely take off the plastic. Allow the plant to adjust to the room air and let it free from the covering completely only a day after.

Wardrobe Makeover

The start of the year is the best time to rearrange your closet. After having received bunches of additions to your wardrobe during the holidays, it is always best to give some of your old stuff away. A lot of us accumulate articles of clothings over the years that we barely use and as we change wardrobes, it is only right to clean up and rid your closet from clothes you barely use.

One of the things in my to do list for the first quarter of this year is a wardrobe makeover. I recently just got rid of my old socks. And if socks are one of your everyday clothing basics, then you should look into Hue Socks. A lot of women prefer their socks over the regular ones because of its matchless comfort, ever durable – lasting for a real long time. Their body sock stay up without the feeling of uncomfortable tightness that you usually get from other brands. I remember having been stuck with the brands to that got me to adjust and pull up. Hue’s cotton body socks are just a treasure for a working girl, to say the least.

As for my old socks, I really have to think of a clever way to dispose them off. Besides, it is something you don’t give away as hand me downs, right? Any bright ideas?

Auto Repair Principles Place

Do you have battery issues with your car? Or do you happen to just know how to drive but barely know how to change tires, like me? Maybe you would even want to learn the mechanics of maintaining your car and quit being in the mercies of your usual auto mechanic who charges you a lot for the smallest job that is done in your car?As much as this is a site that provides tips and hints for random things, when it comes to cars, driving is all I know about it. So I hope to head you over to the hubby's auto blog - Learn Auto Repair Principles.

Nip and Tuck

What better way to start the year than to reassess your diet and get down to really eating healthy. Others resort to taking pills that suppress their appetites. But if truth be told, you would really have to get rid of those extra folds when you lost all those fats, right?

Weight loss issues are aplenty over the blogosphere alone as I have observed. I consider myself fortunate to have acquired good genes because I have not tipped an extra pound from when I was single up to this time, a baby later. Except of course for the close to 30 pounds that I have gained when I was pregnant- 26 lbs. to be exact. For some, it means having to go through a more invasive procedure like a tummy tuck or even a breast uplift uk

If it is this procedure that you need, you have to go to no less than Mya.co.uk if you want yours done the best way. This type of surgery is done by taking out the excess skin (from below-to make it inconspicuous) that is caused by weight loss or even pregnancy.

Do you know that there are two types of this kind of surgery? The mini and full tummy tuck, both under general anaesthesia. This type of procedure, like a tummy tuck as well, might be what you might need to finally get down to losing those unwanted poundage. Check out their site and learn more about nip and tuck.

File Those Bills Payment Receipts!

As organized as I try to be, for some reason, I lost one $13 credit card payment receipt during the holidays. I was shocked to receive a billing statement over email with an amount that of more than $31 than I expect. I make sure I pay the full amount of my bill before the due date, so alarmed as I was, I called Citibank to ask for the breakdown. It turned out, I got penalized and the payment never got through. I always pay via the bank and thought maybe the bank failed to upload the payments over the holidays.

After rummaging for all probable place I could have placed it, I finally saw the receipt which was collected alongside all the other receipts (probably by my weekend cleaning girl), it's on top of the fridge. I found out that the account number that it got credited in was the old Citibank credit card that was long terminated. I called Citiphone again (for the fourth time) and they saw that the payment was indeed credited to the terminated account. I faxed the transaction receipt and they are going to reverse all charges very soon! Whew!

I always file my receipts, but because of busyness and because of the amount of the receipt was too small to bother with, I took for granted to keep it until I receive a confirmation of the receipt of payment. No, I don't keep my receipts for ages to gather dust and all. I have my email archive to do the job- a confirmation receipt is enough. Another lesson learned by yours truly. As much as I was confident that I paid my obligation, it was not enough. I have got to get hold of the receipt for proof until it gets credited and I have received confirmation.

Meanwhile, I am happy that I don't need to pay that extra $31 (charges and penalty) for that would have been treated as $13 unpaid bill. Atleast the company gave me credit for the good standing and prompt payments I have always had with them. :-)

Shumacher Homes

We all know how pricey lands are these days. This is probably because it is one of the investments that gets scarce by the day. The reason is obvious, we only have so much land all over the earth that the little we have left are given so much value. If you are looking into constructing your home, it is always best to go to the one that has reputation for quality standard.

You will be read from Schumacher Homes Press the many recommendations and awards that Shumacher Homes have bagged ever since it has joined the industry of real estate. Like for instance, last August 8, 2008, Greater Akron Chamber’s Small Business Council chose Shumacher Homes as the 2008 Excellence in Business award winner. For one, this award is only given to businesses that gave outstanding performance and have made a considerable impact not just the business industry but to the community as well.

Shumacker Homes, if you haven’t heard of it yet, is a company the custom builds a home. They currently builds beautiful homes in Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and a lot of other states. Head out to their web page and learn more about them.

Posting of Weekly Menu

If you are a work from home mom like me, chances are the major part of your household chores is preparing the menu for each of the three meals a day, week in and week out. It is often a treat to just eat out, or order in. But this is not the case if you have a budget to consider, like I do.

Getting down to listing down the recipe should be done in the most relaxed day of the week. Putting it all together from a collection as you plan out your week will be relief, knowing you know what ingredients to buy ahead of time.

This will prove to be beneficial even as you become more efficient in doing the things you need to do, not having to crank out every single time you are left with little time to prepare your meal.

Watch Style

Most of us have our little indulgences. For some it is shoes, some bags, watches, jewelries, perfumes, et.al. I know a handful of people who have a closet full of shoes. Whatever it is that you collect, it is wise to get your collection a place of its own. For one, why would you collect if you would have them sit around in disarray, right? It is one thing to be a collector and it is another to be a hoarder. What makes one different from the other is the way you handle your supposed collection.

Incidentally, I chanced upon this website that has a selection of lovely Watch Bands. To date, I have only kept one Swiss watch and it is now more than a decade old. I have no idea anymore whatever happened to all the other watches I have had. This site carries brand name watch bands for high end watches. I am currently looking for bands and straps to match my Bulova watch.

What is so sweet about thiese bands is that HIRSCH Artisanal leather ones are handcrafter no less and those babies are even 100m water resistant and guaranteed with no allergy system. Head over the site if you would like to spark up your watch plain or not, for that band replacement, even just for the sake of a band change.

Pack Away Time

This is the time of the year that you have to gather all those Christmas ornaments to properly store them. But the question is how does one do it the organized way?

Before going to properly storing away those decors, try to decide if you can if you will use the same ornaments or would want to give them away. Storing things that you know you will not use anymore is not wise.

The next question is, is there really an easy way to packing away those Christmas decorations? In fact there is and I hope to share with you, my dear readers, the basics. First is, put on labels for easy access to them in the future. Keep lights and ornaments for the Christmas tree in one box, for instance and properly label them. Use plastic wraps, bubble wraps, for example to protect the some delicate trimmings and crystals, if any.

Packing away does not really need to be overwhelming. If you apply the said system, things will be more easy than it seems.

Stay Safe

Whether it is a simple plumbing job or a home project you are to take care of, it is always wise to make sure you have got the safety equipment you need. For example, you are taking care of a welding job in your home, a mask is necessary to keep you safe. This is something we cannot take for granted.

How about fire extinguishers? Even homes should each have one. These little things can actually count so much in times of emergency crisis.

Conserve Energy by Installing an Automatic Setback Thermostat

Do you know that you can conserve energy and cut down your heating bills by 7 to 12 percent by using an automatic setback thermostat? It's true. The fact that this can be programmed to lower the heat or cool the air while everyone is out during the day, it can do a lot to save you money.

In this hard times, it is always best to look into the little things we often take for granted. These little things pile up and could actually be of help as you take care of your family budget and even prove environment friendly.

Tips To Make Work More Efficient

Some principles I learned from a leadership seminar are 1) using the right tools for doing a particular job and, 2) making sure that the tool is prepared for the job it will be used for. These two principles are very simple but, in my own experience, have been very effective.

For example, when cutting wood, it is not wise to use a hammer to cut through it. A screwdriver won’t do any good as well. Using an axe or a chainsaw, the right tool, will not only lessen the effort exerted but also shorten the time that is used to finish the job.

Another example is in the marine industry, the use of a Material Handling System provides materials handling solutions through the use of mobile gantry cranes. This equipment allows for faster and safer handling of very large and bulky materials that are difficult to move and handle. Shuttlelift.com offers these Gantry Cranes that provides greater efficiency for its users.

Aside from using the right tools, preparing the tools and making sure that they are in their best shape is also essential. A sharpened axe is much more efficient tha a dull one. Similarly, Gantry Cranes that are engineered for higher duty cycles and greater ground speed creates greater efficiency.

How to Kepp Cut Flower Fresh Longer

Always pick flowers early in the morning or early evening. Wrap theou use a in paper towels around the stems until you get them inside the house and immediately immerse the stems into a container of water.

Before immersion, cut the stems at an angle and put them in a pail of tepid water. Please make sure you use a sharp knife and not scissors. Scissors will compress the stems and will not allow the water to freely seep in them.

Keep the vase where you put the flowers away from drafts, including fans and air conditioners, even out of direct sunlight.

Travelling with Family

While travelers must be on their way back to their homes at this time of the year to go right back to their regular routine, it can also be the height of excitement for some to get down on planning their next vacation. The holidays are the perfect time to do all the travelling you want to do.

Exploring places, even local sceneries are the things we hope to do with the whole family. If you happen to be traveling around the city, it will be best if you avail of LaGuardia Airport Car Service. They provide shuttle services that are very affordable, the most reliable ever to transport you and your team between residences, hotels or wherever you would like to go to around New York, Westchester, Connecticut, JFK, LaGuardia and Newark Airports. This will lessen the hassle of going around places that you would rather be an inconvenience if you have no transport service that you could rely on.

This will definitely boost the quality of holiday vacation you have, taking out this issue from the equation and all you need to do is enjoy the sceneries with friends and loved ones.
Meanwhile, the whole family is looking forward to an extended vacation even as we welcome back my folks who is flying from the States in six days.

Cupboard Cleanup

This is my next project. My cupboard now is okay, but there are just some things that have to go already. Things that don't get used for months should really be inside the cabinet rather than sit on the cupboard to gather dust.

Will be going down to do this as soon as the holiday events have settled down. Maybe early next week. Meanwhile I have more cookies to bake for my friends' kids who are coming over tomorrow. :-)

Water Restoration 911

It is always wise to have the household essentials checked at the beginning of the year. Being ready for anything like making sure you know what to do when there is Sewage Backup. It is best to be ready for any storm, even before your flooded home needs cleaning up. Prevention is always better than cure. Sewage contains all those bacteria and viruses and the question is how to contain them or even know how to get them cleaned up and rebuilt if the time comes.

WaterRestoration911.com will come in handy for such need. Their team has got the expertise to restore your home to become clean and dry again. Their twelve years of experience backs up this claim and they are even recommended by some insurance companies.

Having a backed up sewage line can be the most frustrating, not to mention disgusting events a home can ever have. A lot of home emergencies like this can be a complete disaster but having the right people do the dirty job for you will make all the difference. The key is to know where the problem lies and take it from the root. Very often it is more than just a simple plumbing job. Check out WaterRestoration911.com for more details.

Cleaning Venetial Blinds

As much as we hope it is as easy as just dusting, if you really want to get those blinds cleaned, you have got to take them down and wash them in water and detergent in the bath tub. Scrub with care. When they are clean, rinse them very thoroughly. and hang them along the shower curtain rod. Make sure you got all the rugs placed on the bathroom floor so as not to get it all wet.

Starting the Year Right

Starting the year right is the way to do it if we want to survive the global financial crisis. If you left the year 2008 burdened with debts, you don’t have to carry that burden over to this year helplessly. As with every other problem, big or small, the first step to recovery is admission. If it is debt help that you need, you have got to get real and admit it first to yourself that you need help with debt.

For some the goal to financial freedom is far off, but this does not mean impossible. Doing one step at a time will get you towards the goal. According to one of Suze Orman’s debt solutions is start off with a realistic budget. If you are at all to have a credit card, make sure to avail of the low rate ones.

As you figure out your budget, always write down to prioritize the necessities such as payments for the house, money for the food, toiletries. Then go ahead tally your monthly bills that takes up your income such as utilities, mortgage, et.al. As you become aware of these details, you have that figure in your head how much the deficit is and you are most likely to adjust your lifestyle and take off the luxuries your household got used to, until at least you have paid off your debts.

Happy New Year!

A better year this 2009 is what we hope for all of us. Even as we hope for that, let us all do our part by making the right choices from the smallest to the major ones. Go clean up your closet if you need to. Closet cleaning inside out can be very beneficial. This is an ideal if you would like to start the year right. Sure, it's not going to be a perfect year. Let us go beyond merely striving to survive life. Enjoy every breathing moment.

May you learn from the handful of handy tips and household hints that I will be sharing this year. God bless you all! :-)