Instant Turmeric

Have you ever tried this healthy drink? Just mix one spoonful of it with a glass of hot water; then it’s ready to drink. This product is already added with white sugar. For me it’s too sweet one, therefore I don’t drink it often.

According to vegetarian-nutrition.info, the yellow-orange color of turmeric is derived from curcumin, a bright yellow, phenolic pigment. Curcumin is an antioxidant which is considerably more powerful than vitamin E. It has anti-mutagenic activity, as well as the ability to inhibit the growth of certain cancers. The latest research shows that turmeric can suppress the development of stomach, breast, colon, lung and skin tumors.

Expanding Beyond Your First Home

There is nothing more exciting than getting your first home. You may find, however, that once everything is settled and things keep going well, the time may have come to move beyond your initial purchase and expand. There are lots of ways that you can grow, though it all depends on why you want or need to do it. The following ideas are just some of the things that you can do.

Get a Granny Flat

One of the best ways to expand beyond your home is to just go straight out into the yard and have a granny flat put in. A granny flat can be a fantastic investment, as it will significantly increase the value of your home, and can provide the extra space needed for your small business or for when relatives come to visit. You can also rent out your granny flat to bring in a handy extra income, and with your unit just out back it will be easy to keep up on any maintenance. Be sure to check with your local council or a property lawyer to ensure that you are legally entitled to a second structure on your land.

Get an Extension

An extension on your home can be the perfect way to get more out of a good thing. Whether you go out, up or down with your additions, your extension will enable you to get more out of your home while also increasing its value. So if you love your home too much to move into a bigger one, making your current one bigger can provide the perfect solution.

Investing in Land

Buying land can be an awesome way to diversify your investment portfolio, as well as presenting a huge amount of opportunity. Even if you can’t afford to build anything on it or do anything with it just yet, securing land is that all-important first step, and if you have purchased wisely, it will likely continue to increase in value – even while it just sits there.

Upgrade

Even though you may love your home, some places just aren’t meant to be forever. If you can, moving into a new place while maintaining ownership of your first home will allow you to rent it out and help you finance the costs associated with your new place. This kind of ‘flipping’ has turned some young people into millionaires extremely quickly, though it is much easier if you have a few trade skills and access to some good conveyancing services.

Buy the Place Next Door

If you love everything about the place that you live but you would like it to be a little larger, consider purchasing your neighbour’s place and joining them together. Your new mega-property will still have that prime location, and your home will be even more amazing.

Extending beyond your home can be a fantastic way to branch out with your investing, while still basing everything on your home’s core success. Making that first big step beyond your first home can be a little nerve-wracking, so keep any moves you make simple and well thought out, and you are sure to be in for even more future expansions.
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Designing the Right Pergola for Your Home

Creating the perfect outdoor area should start from the top – and that means installing a pergola that will set the scene for everything that follows. Modern pergolas come in all shapes, sizes, colours and a range of materials, meaning the right design is easily incorporated into your home. Pergolas are a key asset to your home and add value, functionality and practicality. Speaking to an expert who can advise on the best options for your outdoor area is the sensible move.

Be Prepared
Whether it is a new home in need of a pergola or an older home in need of a revamp, it is important to have an idea what you want and what works best. Before you seek out quotes, measure the area where the pergola is to be erected and make a note of any problems you foresee, such as the surface underfoot, proximity to sheds and other buildings, or where it is likely to attach to the walls of your home.

It’s important to find the right place for the pergola. Most new homes are built with an obvious location for an outdoor area already taken into consideration. The best location will provide ease of access to the inside of the home – access straight to the kitchen is ideal. A north-facing orientation is also a good idea, to make the most of our climate.

Types of PergolasModern pergolas come in three main configurations – gabled (or pitched roof), flat roof or domed. As a general rule, flat roofs are cheaper and more straight-forward to install. They are a simple and easy option and can be made to fit virtually any area. Gabled pergolas give greater flexibility when it comes to style. They are also cooler because the higher roof allows the heat that gathers underneath to rise and the design encourages better airflow. Domed roofs add that extra ‘wow’ factor and are generally the most expensive. Once again, they can be designed to fit any space and they can be an impressive feature all by themselves.

Choice of MaterialsSteel and aluminium construction has taken over from timber-framed pergolas as it offers great flexibility and protection from the elements. Timber pergolas will need more maintenance (such as painting) than steel construction and can warp or crack under certain conditions. When it comes to the roof, Colorbond and polycarbonate sheeting are the most popular choices. Polycarbonate can come in clear sheets to let light into the outdoor area, while Colorbond comes in colours that will complement the rest of your home.

Two TipsIt’s important to consider safety and local laws if your patio adjoins a swimming pool. Pool suppliers should be familiar with the laws surrounding this. Look for someone who can install approved fencing to make your outdoor area as safe as possible. In many States pool fencing is a legal requirement, so check with your local authority. Here’s another tip – if you are installing a patio, put in your fencing before laying paving bricks to save hassles. It’s easier to cut the pavers to fit around the support poles once they are in the ground.

Birds in Silhouettes

One photo from my archive. Captured last year on a tall-weed field in front of my aunt's home.

The Weekend in Black and White

Using Staff for In-House Training

Every organization needs to have well-trained staff and, for non-profits, volunteers. The benefits and cost-savings of having competent people who know what they are doing are enormous, but training can be expensive, especially if you have a lot of employees and volunteers. What can you do to minimize the expense of training without sacrificing quality? There are many things you can do to save money in this area and, at the same time, show your staff and volunteers that you value them. Here are some easy ways:

Offer In-House Training

Instead of out-sourcing your training needs, why not utilize the in-house expertise of your existing personnel? After all, who knows better about your organization, what is needed, and how to do it, than the people who are currently doing it? It is also much cheaper than hiring a facilitator or outside trainer. So if you’ve got a number of new staff that need customer service training, why not ask a current employee who has demonstrated competency in that area to give the training? It doesn’t matter if they have never trained anyone before; there are a lot of resources out there to help them figure it out. People love to be challenged and expand their current skill sets, and it is another way for you to show your staff that you trust them and want to see them develop their talents in new directions.

Build Training Expertise within Your Organization
As mentioned above, there are mountains of educational resources that you can access in order to start building expertise in training within your organization; best of all, there are many free resources available! If you’ve got senior employees who have been with you for a long time, ask them to develop a training program for new hires and volunteers. Taking ownership of your own staff training by creating expertise and knowledge in this area also allows you to better control the direction of your organization. You will be able to tailor the training to the growing needs of your business.

Appreciation and Acknowledgement
Appreciating the hard work of your staff in training their peers doesn’t have to come in a monetary form: most people love to help others out and share their knowledge. It is more important to properly and publicly appreciate them for their knowledge, skills and willingness to share them with the rest of the organization. An added bonus is that you will simultaneously increase the morale of your staff and foster more loyalty, as they will feel truly appreciated and respected.

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Tips for a Cheaper, Cooler Home

If you are wasting money by cooling your home with your air conditioner, there are ways to make it more economical. To start with, you need to check your air conditioner to make sure it is working efficiently. Also think about when you actually run the air conditioner, as well as that more than just the security doors are shut.

There are a few main issues that cause you to spend too much to cool your home:
● The condition of your air-conditioning system.
● The timing of your air-conditioning system.
● Keeping out the heat.
● Airing your home at night.

Cleaning Your Air Conditioner
The condition of your air conditioner will not only affect how cold the air is in your home but also the quality of that air. An unclean filter can not only make the air smell musty but can also carry bacteria that cause illness. Make sure you clean out the filter regularly as this will also allow easier airflow.

The next thing you really need to do is get your air-conditioning system serviced. While this will cost you some money, it will also save you some in the long run. A proper technician can help sort out re-gassing your system as well as fixing any small or major problems.

Running Your Cooling System Earlier
If you want to have a nice cool house without the massive costs, it pays to start your air-conditioning earlier. You see, if you cool your house down in the morning (when it is already cool) then the air-conditioning does not have to work too hard to keep it at that temperature. But if you only turn your air conditioner on when it gets really hot, you will end up paying more because your system then has to work overtime to bring the temperature down. Make sure you set your air conditioner to cool to a certain temperature – setting it to just two degrees higher than usual can save you a lot of money.

Closing Blinds and ShuttersShutters and blinds are the best way to keep heat out of your home in warm weather. Keeping a dark house in summer is the best way to keep it cool although you will be sacrificing some breezes. If you have the air conditioner on it won’t really matter too much anyway.

While outdoor shutters are great at blocking the sun and heat, their metal construction can sometimes be a bit warm. This is where a double-insulating effect of some heavy curtains will help you a lot. Make sure the curtains are nice and dark so they can block light getting through and heating your home.

Airing Your Home
It is also important if you are running the air conditioner all day to air your home when you get the chance. Do this during cooler periods, such as at night, and this will get your home ready for any hot weather the next day.