Feb 12, 2010

Affordable Way to Make a Better Bedroom

Bedrooms are one of the most important rooms in the house. After all, you spend at least 8 hours there each day. If your bedroom isn't comfortable it can factually keep you awake at night by making it difficult to sleep. Your bedroom should also be a sanctuary while you're awake.

How can you turn your bedroom into a luxurious escape when you're on a budget? Janice Simonsen, one of the design experts at IKEA, shared tips.

Here are the tips:
  • The right lighting can help create an air of luxury for less. Install dimmers on existing lights or use scented candles for an easy way to set a soothing mood.

  • Textiles make a room cozy. Plush rugs feel great and make chilly floors warmer. Use sheers to fashion a billowy canopy using two curtain rods or add a colorful cotton duvet cover to brighten things up.

  • Snuggle up under a down or down-alternative comforter. Look for one that provides just the right amount of warmth. New materials like modal and lyocell wick moisture from the body to make sleeping more comfortable.

  • Adding pillows of various shapes and sizes is an inexpensive way to help dress up a bedroom. Consider mixing and matching different types including round, bolster and European square.

  • Little items mean a lot. Small, pretty mirrors, photo frames and simple yet elegant vases add a bit of opulence. Try clustering small items or collections in one area rather than scattering them to avoid a cluttered feeling.
Source:ivillage -Michele Capozzoli

Feb 9, 2010

How to Clean Rain Gutters

There was a high fir-tree in front of our house. Because of it, we have problem with rain gutters; it full of dried leaves and branch. It’s a pity I still didn’t know how to handle this problem, so, my father decided to cut the tree down. If you face the same problem with rain gutters; this post may help you.

During a rainstorm, gutters route runoff from a very large surface—a home’s roof—to where it can drain away from the house. By doing so, they protect iding, windows, doors, and foundations from water damage and help prevent flooding in basements.

To do their job, gutters and downspouts must be clear of leaves and waste. If they aren’t, drain outlets will dam up and rainwater will fill the gutters, back up, overflow, and eventually pull gutters loose from their mountings. Water that pools in troughs will rot wood gutters and rust sheet metal ones.

You can hire a service to clean your gutters, but doing the work yourself can save you $100 or more. Plan to clean gutters at least twice a year—more often if the roof is directly beneath trees or you live in a region with frequent storms. But only take on this task if you know you can work safely from a ladder or the roof.


Choose a sturdy ladder, and place it on a firm, level base. A tall stepladder can be easier to use than an extension ladder. If you must lean an extension ladder against a gutter, protect the gutter from bending by placing a short piece of 2 by 4 inside it. Stand on the ladder with your hips between the rails, and don’t lean out over the sides. Never stand on the top two rungs.

If you’re comfortable working from the rooftop and your roof has a very low pitch, this can be easier than working from a ladder. But only do this under extremely safe conditions. Never work on the roof in wet, icy, or windy conditions. Wear non-slip shoes, and never lean over the edge or work near power lines.

When cleaning gutters, wear heavy work gloves to protect your hands since gutters often have sharp metal parts or screw points sticking out into their troughs. Also wear safety glasses.

To clean gutters:

1) Scoop out loose debris.
Starting at a drain outlet at the low end of a gutter, use a narrow garden trowel to scoop out loose debris, working away from the drain outlet. It’s usually easiest to do this when the debris is slightly damp and pliable, not soggy or dried and encrusted. To minimize cleanup later, you can scoop the debris into a plastic garbage-can liner.

2) Blast out the gutters with a hose.
Using an on-off high-pressure nozzle mounted at the end of a water hose, wash out each length of gutter, working toward the drain outlet. This can be a messy job; try to avoid splattering mud all over your house. If necessary, use a stiff scrub brush to breakloose encrusted dirt.

3) Clear obstructions in drainpipes.
If water doesn’t drain freely through drainpipes, try flushing debris down them with a hose. If that doesn’t work, use a plumber’s auger (snake) to free and pull out debris from the bottom.
Source

Feb 4, 2010

How to Give Cut Roses a Longer Life

Roses are one of favorite flowers to decorate your house. Just place cut roses in a vase, and put the vase on everywhere that you like most. If you want to see the beauty of these roses longer, you will like the tips. Happy reading…

The tips are made by Jeff Cox, host of
HGTV’s Grow It! show. With these tips, your roses will last twice as long-seven to 10 days rather than three to five.

Step 1
Start by choosing blossoms that are still fairly tight.

Step 2
Count back on the stem to the first five-leaflet leaf, and cut the stem just above it. Cut on a severe slant to give the stem maximum surface area.

Step 3
Fill a tall conditioning can such as florists use (or any tall container) with water, and plunge the cut roses into the can so that the water reaches the top of the stem.

Step 4
Let the roses soak for 24 hours, then arrange them in a vase of water.

Step 5
Drop a couple of pennies into the vase
. The copper inhibits the growth of bacteria. Without an inhibitor, bacteria growth at the base of the stems can prevent adequate water intake and make the roses wilt.

Source : google

Jan 29, 2010

Your Sofa Reflects Your Personality

Sofa has different meaning for every one. There is one that assumes sofa as a piece of art work. There is one that uses sofa as center of his/her activities at home. But there is also one that uses sofa only to watch TV.

When you choose a sofa; of course, you will choose one that suits with your preference and personal style. That’s why sofa can reflect your personality.

Watch out for these types of sofa:
  • Clean and look-never-touched sofa. The owner is a tidy, discipline, well-organized person. She/he will never eat and drink on the sofa.

  • Sofa with traditional colorful fabrics which covers the part of it. The owner could be an artist or whoever, and the traditional fabrics reflecting a person who love cultural things.

  • Sofa with hard-to-clean stains. It’s the real sofa! The owner is an adventurer. The sofa is often used as a sleeping place by friends. Though is often used; this sofa isn’t comfortable enough to seat on.

  • Expensive and art-work sofa. If you go to the owner’s house; don’t you try to sit on it. The owner buy the sofa for its shape, he/she doesn’t buy the sofa’s function.

  • Sofa with the hollow in the middle. The owner is a game fan. Cables and remote control might scatter on the sofa. You may also find food crumbs there. But one thing for sure, you can relax and lift up your feet on the sofa.
Don’t be angry if you don’t agree with this analysis, hehehe. The sofa is yours; it’s all up to you…

Rewrite source: Reader’s Digest

Jan 22, 2010

Make Your Home a Child Friendly Home (3)

Here are more you-should-do lists to protect your child at your own home. Happy reading…

Bathroom.




  • Keep anti-slip bath mats on the floor and in the bath tub to prevent falls.
  • Store medications and cosmetics in locked containers out of children’s reach.
  • Keep hair dryers and other electric appliances unplugged and out of children’s reach. Make sure each has a ground fault circuit interrupter (it does if its plug has two buttons labeled "set" and "reset").
  • To prevent drowning, always supervise young children in the bathroom. Pay extra attention when they’re in the tub. Never leave a child alone in water. And drain the sink or tub when finished.
  • Keep your hot water heater at 120°F or lower to prevent scalding. Be aware that a child’s skin is more sensitive to heat than an adult’s, and can burn more easily.
  • Use toilet seat locks to prevent toddlers from drowning.
  • Use doorknob covers on bathroom doors. These require you to squeeze them to open the door, which is hard for young children.
Your Child’s Bedroom.


  • Keep diaper changing supplies within reach of the changing table. Never leave your baby unattended on the changing table. And use the safety strap if the table has one.
  • Keep cords for drapery and blinds out of reach of children. Your child could strangle on them.
  • Make sure a toy box does not have a heavy lid that could trap your child. Install a safety hinge that holds the lid open, or remove the lid.
  • Keep the bed away from windows.
  • Use bunk beds only for older kids.
Try these tips to keep your child’s crib safe:

  • Remove toys, pillows, and stuffed animals. Also remove bumper pads and loose blankets. All of these items could be used as steps for climbing out of the crib. They could also cause a suffocation hazard.
  • Make sure the crib slats are no more than 2 inches apart. Wider slats can trap a baby’s head.
  • Check the crib for small parts that a child could choke on.
Family Room.



  • Keep furniture edges and corners covered to prevent injuries.
  • Secure large TVs and other heavy furniture with a wall strap. This keeps them from falling over. Use a TV stand that is the correct size to hold your TV.
  • Place a barrier around fireplaces and other heat sources.
  • Keep cords for drapes and blinds out of children’s reach.
  • Try to keep electrical cords out of children’s reach. Make sure none are frayed.
  • Keep furniture away from windows. This prevents children from climbing up on the furniture and falling out of the window.
  • Keep all houseplants out of reach of children.
  • Avoid tables with glass surface.
  • Remove loose rugs or secure them to the floor.

Rewrite source: Tempo and google
Pictures sources: practicalsurfaceware.com; nursery-kids-child-room.blogspot.com; buybuybaby.com

Jan 19, 2010

Favorite Indoor Plants (2)

Those are another indoor plants that you can choose to decorate your home.
Source:home.ivillage.com

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