A Broken Basketball Ring

I've noticed that this basketball ring -on a field near our home- has been broken for about a month. It's a pity that it's painted beautifully but it can't be used. Children still use the field to play football, volleyball and any other games except basketball.

Using Plants for a Healthier Home

There is a surprising amount of chemicals and pollutants floating around in the average household, and there is plenty of research proving that houseplants can clean many of these toxins up. Plants are great because they provide a natural, cost effective way of cleaning the indoor air, plus they can make the inside of your home look fresh and inviting. The following is an explanation of how plants are so effective at cleaning the air in your home, and some examples of the best plants to use.

How They Work
Although there are some types of plants that are more effective at scrubbing toxins out of the air, virtually all plants can make for powerful air cleaners. Through the pores on the leaves, carbon dioxide and other pollutants enter the plant. Through a series of complex chemical processes and reactions within the leaf, photosynthesis takes place and oxygen is released back into the air. Not only are plants effective at filtering out the toxins in your living space, but they also release oxygen in a more pure form. When there are airborne toxins floating around in your living space, they are interfering with your body, particularly your eyes, nose, throat and respiratory system.

The Pollutants

In general, there are three main harmful pollutants that are commonly found in the average household:
benzene
formaldehyde
trichloroethylene (TCE)

The following describes where each pollutant comes from, why they are harmful, and some examples of the best plants that can be used to clean them up:

Benzene
Benzene is a commonly used solvent that can be found in tobacco smoke, gasoline, ink, oil, paint, plastic and rubber. You will also become exposed to benzene when you use manufactured detergents, pharmaceuticals and dyes. If you are exposed to benzene, it may cause dizziness, nervousness, headaches and anaemia, as well as irritated skin and eyes. You can help purify the air, while adding colour to your home, by making a flower arrangement out of gerbera daisies, chrysanthemums and peace lilies, or by using other common plants such as bamboo palm, English ivy and snake plant.

Formaldehyde
In virtually every indoor environment you will find formaldehyde. The major sources of this airborne contaminant are insulation, particleboard and paper products, as well as most commercial cleaning products. Formaldehyde can affect your health by irritating the mucous membranes of your upper respiratory system and can increase the risk of asthma for you or your family. The peace lily flower can help remove formaldehyde from the air in your home as well as bamboo palm, corn plant, snake plant, spider plant, golden pothos and heartleaf philodendron.

Trichloroethylene
There are a wide variety of industrial uses for trichloroethylene (TCE) including in inks, paints, varnishes and adhesives. TCE can affect your central nervous system and cause dizziness, confusion and headaches, and, in high concentrations, can lead to unconsciousness. Plants that can purify the air of TCEs include gerbera daisy, chrysanthemum, peace lily, corn plant and bamboo palm.

So why not put a plant in your home? Doing so will increase the overall health of you and your family by providing clean, fresh air to breathe.

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Creating an All Weather Entertaining Area

There are times when you don’t actually want a roof over your head all the time when outdoors so you can make the most of the weather. Fixed roofs can trap in heat and block out wind and light on days when it would be most enjoyable to sit outdoors and enjoy the surrounds of your own outdoor entertaining area. This is where a retractable sun shade, such as a roof that lets in or keeps out as much of the sun as you want, can be the ideal choice for people who want flexibility when it comes to their outdoor area.

What they do
A retractable roof creates a more functional and useable outdoor area. When in place they block out harsh UV light and provide protection from the elements, but on milder days they can be retracted to let you enjoy the weather. They are beneficial to the indoors of the home as well. They can prevent heat from the sun hitting your windows in the warmer months and heating up the home. Conversely, in winter when opened they allow the natural light to pour into the home and create warmth.

How they work
Retractable roofs are certainly not a ‘one size fits all’ proposition. They need to be custom-made for your particular area and fitted by experts. In many cases they are an excellent alternative to a pergola because of the added flexibility they offer. They can be moved into the ideal position by hand-cranking or using a motorised system. They don’t have to be opened or closed all the way either. They can be partially opened and adjusted regularly with minimum fuss to make the most of the weather. Many homeowners opt for two or more sections of retractable roofing that can be operated autonomously for the ultimate in climate control.

Make a statement
Installing a retractable roof is also a style statement. They come in a range of styles and finishes that can complement your existing décor or tie in with other parts of your home, such as the shade of your security doors or the trim of your gutters. Some properties may even have permanent glass roofs in their outdoor entertaining zones and these retractable shades are the perfect way to prevent these areas from turning into a greenhouse. People are also more adventurous when it comes to the design of outdoor areas today and retractable sun shades are an ideal fit where something more unique is called for.

A practical alternative
It’s not just homeowners who make use of retractable roofs. Restaurants with alfresco areas are utilising this outdoor option as it gives them flexibility with guest seating. So no matter what the sky looks like, diners can be offered protection from the elements yet the area can be opened up to take advantage of the sun in the cooler months. Some schools, day care centres and even playgrounds make use of these retractable sun shades because of their flexibility.

So if you like the idea of an all weather outdoor entertaining area, you might be best to consider a retractable roof. It means that you can enjoy your entertainment area in comfort, all year round!

Home or Away – Where to Holiday

In the current economic climate, people are thinking twice about going on holiday. For many it is an unaffordable option at the moment, but there are ways in which you can access the holiday opportunities available to you without blowing all your earnings. Even if you do not want to, or cannot afford to, go abroad for a holiday, there are still plenty of ways to take a well-deserved break from work and the responsibilities of home without leaving the country. This article considers some of the sensible places to holiday and ways to make savings to reduce the costs:

Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia may be a fairly long way from Australia but flights are relatively cheap and the cost of living and enjoying yourself there is very low compared to other holiday destinations. A trip to one of the many fantastic Malaysia resorts on offer will give you a chance to experience a new country with a very clean environment, at a relatively low cost. With many outside activities to take part in, this is a great way to stay healthy and experience a new culture.

Europe
Flights to Europe are outrageously expensive, but now is a good time to travel there. The high level of the Australian dollar against the pound and the euro means that you will get more bang for your buck. If you have been planning to go to Europe for some time, now is a great chance to take that opportunity. If you can afford the flights then it really is worth it and your holiday could consist of as many countries as you can handle in your time off!

Uluru
A trip to Uluru is a way to make a holiday in Australia exciting without spending an obscene amount. Australia is a wonderfully bountiful country and Uluru is a mind-blowing reminder of the country’s history. Originally a sedimentary collection at the bottom of a giant ocean, Uluru spans 5 kilometres around and is phenomenal sight. It is also significant in Aboriginal culture and was believed by some Aboriginal tribes to have been a lake which rose up in protest against a battle being waged along its shores.

Melbourne
A trip to Melbourne will offer you wonderful new experiences of Australia. Melbourne is a remarkably modern city with lots of fantastic restaurants to choose from. Some of these require long booking notice so be sure to check this out before you go, if you want to eat in the top restaurants. A visit to Melbourne should also be combined with a Great Ocean Road tour. The Great Ocean Road stretches along the most beautiful coastline in Australia and is also a symbol of remembrance for those who died fighting for Australia in the First World War.

Sydney
There is little that needs to be said about Sydney, the world-famous Australian city. It is a vibrant and symbolic city which is viewed by many as the heart of Australia. There will never be a shortage of things to do in Sydney and you can fill your time with anything from trips to the zoo to out-of-town excursions into the surrounding mountains. 

Setting Up a Home Office

Creating a home office can be an excellent way to save on set up costs whilst also preparing yourself for a profitable business venture. It’s vitally important, however, that you make the right decisions at this early stage because your home office needs to be as professional as any office for anyone who visits. Long hours, waiting for deliveries and having to fix everything yourself are two common complaints from people who work from home, but all of these problems can be easily tackled from the start.

The Workspace
The workspace is the first and most crucial element of a home business start-up. Ideally you need to start with an empty room with a private entrance to your office (meaning you do not have to walk through the home to get to the office, or vice versa). This room should then be cleaned, repainted and remodelled wherever needed.

Choosing the right Sydney office chairs is important. Whilst you may think it’s comfortable to lie on your sofa to work, this is very bad for your back and will lead to lazy work habits. Whether you believe it will or not, working from a sofa will make you more tired and more easily distracted. Kit your home office out like any corporate office and put on a suit before starting work every day. This will get you in work mode and make your body realise that it isn’t still the weekend.

Choosing a PC
Moving from the corporate world to a home office might lead you to automatically jump for a desktop computer. Consider the many quality portable options first because you may well find yourself travelling a lot and this will make the process far easier.

Computer Support
Computer support is necessary in any company and when working from home you have to rely on yourself. This does not have to be a complete headache because help is available. For a ‘no fix, no fee’ charge of around $150 it is possible to get any software problems fixed. This may seem like a lot, and in most cases it is, so you would be better off investing in a computer support course for yourself instead.

Importantly, you will be entirely responsible for backing everything up. Invest in an external hardrive for this purpose and utilise cloud storage for all but the most sensitive and confidential information.

Phones
It is tempting to save costs by just using your home phone for work. This will unfortunately provide a very unprofessional image to customers and should be avoided. Your phone systems will say a lot about your business so make sure you have a dedicated business line and a phone that calls can be redirected to when you are travelling between jobs.

Balance Books and Work Life
When you work for a company there will usually be someone working tirelessly to balance the accounts. This will need to be you in your own business and it’s crucial to stay on top of it all. Doing accounts once a week should ensure you are always aware and able to pay debts when needed.

Working at home poses a second more serious balancing issue, however. The working hours completed by a home worker are often longer and less ridged than they need to be. When working for yourself it is too easy to endlessly create work to fill time, even when you don’t want to and are trying not to. Draw a line at the end of each day and come back to complete it the next day, just as you would when working for another company. Lock the office and leave until the morning or you will end up staying all night.

As long as you can arrange and organise all of the above you should find setting up your own home office a fun and enjoyable experience. 

Related source: Home business ideas

Dry Leaves

Hanging Dry Leaves
Though your time has finished

the beauty is still in you

The Weekend in Black and White