Home Decorating Ideas ? Changing Seasons!

Posted on 17 July 2010 by admin

A simple home decorating idea to invigorate a room is to let it reflect the change in seasons. Here are several home decorating ideas for making those seasonal transitions simple and easy.

Home decorating ideas for making the switch to summer:

*Replace heavy draperies with lace curtains or sheer panels to give that light, airy look.

*Rearrange furniture to let in light and air and to take in the view of outdoors

*Drape a summery throw over the sofa or use striped or lighter-weight white or cream slipcovers.

*Put away the heavier wool rugs and use cotton rugs, straw mats or leave the floors bare.

*Dress up the fireplace with dried flowers, a candle arrangement, or unique, summery home decor.

*Add a touch of color with items such as painted flower pots and colorful table linens.

*Bring the garden indoors with a wicker chair, a glass-top wrought iron table and birdhouses.

Home decorating ideas for transitioning to winter:

*Use traditional wool, Oriental, or Navajo rugs as area rugs over carpet or bare floors.

*Add winter warmth to any décor with velvet slipcovers and chenille and mohair throws.

*Burrow under flannel sheets, vintage quilts and comforters for a good night’s rest.

*Go for deep, rich colors—navy blue, russet, burgundy, and eggplant

*Bring the outdoors inside with a rustic basket filled with pinecones and urns filled with evergreens or branches with winter berries.

*Display bowls of winter fruits on tables and countertops—apples, pears, and pomegranates.

*Provide a soothing, comforting glow to any room in the house with candles.

*Bring furniture closer together for that warm, cozy feeling.

See how easy it is to shift from one season to the next by implementing these simple home decorating ideas. Don’t forget to add a touch of spring and fall décor for the in-between seasons.

What is your Garden Costing You?

Posted on 12 May 2010 by admin

It can be a scary exercise to sit down and work out exactly what is spent every year, on the average home gardens and lawns.

Try adding up the costs of plants, weedicides, pesticides, fungicides, fertilisers, petrol, mower and trimmer maintenance, weed eater cord, garden mulch and even water costs. Even the time and effort we go to in order to maintain a good-looking environment for our families and ourselves can amount to a substantial price.

So it is no wonder that many people are looking at ways to save money for more important causes.

One of the first things that you can do to save money, is to make use of as much of that organic matter that many people throw in the bin or wash down the sink.

For instance do you throw out your lawn clippings? Do you dutifully wrap up and throw out those old veggie scraps?

Are you one of those people who regularly get the trailer out and make trips down to the landfill with a pile of branch prunings?

What about those pile of leaves you threw in the bin last autumn?

Do you realise that all of those things can be turned into a wonderful form of plant food, as well as being used as a barrier to prevent the soil from loosing moisture and therefore increasing the amount of time between watering your garden. An organic mulch will also improve the soil structure, increase the good animals like worms while assisting in decreasing the nasty pests living in the soil.

By keeping these sorts of things within your own garden you are also assisting in reducing the effects that city living is having on the environment in landfill problems and costs.

There are a number of different ways that you can recycle these piles of organic matter within your own yard. One is to apply the bulk organic matter directly to your garden beds, ensuring that you don’t pile the material directly up against the trunks or main stems of the plants. A second idea to get a worm farm and recycle your kitchen waste that way; the worms provide you with a very strong and nutritious fertilising liquid for the garden as a bonus. This liquid is so strong it has to be diluted 10-1.

Don’t, by the way, put meat products, citrus peels or onion and garlic in with the worms. A third way is to purchase or construct your own compost pile/bin/tumbler and recycle the material that way.

So just by composting your old leaves, soft cuttings, veggie and fruit scraps, chipped branches, lawn clippings etc., you can do a lot to reduce your costs that you would have spent on such things as garden mulch and fertilisers as well as assisting your plants to last much longer between watering periods. So as you can see there are a number of reasons for not throwing away all that organic material.

A Practical Guide To Choosing Kids Furniture

Posted on 05 May 2010 by admin

Choosing furniture for your kids can be a challenge especially if you are first-time parent. If you wonder about the things that your kids might like for their rooms, it could help you a lot in choosing the right type of furnishings and decor. Don’t be surprised if your kids want color and more color in their room because it’s what will make their room stand out and truly say that they own it.

Many parents are usually strapped on cash these days and their remedy to fill in the missing pieces of furniture is by either refurbishing an old one or purchase from a garage sale. There is nothing wrong with these solutions if you are truly trying to budget everything. You can make the items new by refurbishing, repainting and repairing them. Making the furniture sturdy and safe should also be your main goal to assure that your kids will be safe using them.

If you have the money to spend it is easier to plan and purchase the furniture and other items you need for your kids’ rooms. You can always be practical even if you have spare cash in your wallet. By taking time in knowing what your kids would need for their room you’re sure to buy the right stuff that will benefit your kids.

First things to do are to plan and to jot down the purpose of the items you’re going to get for your kids. These days you’ll often hear many parents saying that storage and purpose play important roles in a kid’s room. Designers follow that trend and reinvent the used-to-be mundane items such as the toy chest, study table set and bunk beds among others so that parents and kids can enjoy the full benefits of these furnishings.

Second thing to do is to measure the size of the room so won’t overstuff or under-furnish it. By knowing the dimensions of the room, you can easily plan and select the right size of furniture when it’s time to purchase them.

Third, stick on the number of furniture that you’ll buy so as not to overspend and overstuff your kid’s room.

So what should you get for your kids?

Get a good-sized bed and dresser for your kid. These two are the most important pieces and they are usually the largest to have in a kid’s room. Make sure that the bed can accommodate your child until he/she reaches early adolescent. Some parents make a mistake of buying the fancy-looking children’s bed only to find themselves buying another bed once the child has grown up.

Think of storage and functional items that your kid would need as he/she grows. He/She will need storage for toys, books and school items. Think of a spot in the room where your kid can play, relax and enjoy. You can create that space, even if it’s just a small one, by adding some small pieces of furniture there such as a lazy boy or bean bag to sit on, an area rug or carpet where he/she can put out all the toys while sitting on the floor.

A study table and chair set is appropriate if your kid is already going to school. You can find study table sets that have drawers and additional storage for books and other stuff. Some sets are also dual-purpose and can accommodate a desktop computer, complete with spaces and drawers for computer peripherals.

Other smaller furniture such as shoe rack, an extra chair or bench and a small cabinet or dresser for his/her extra clothes can be good additions to your kid’s room.

Don’t be afraid to plan and purchase your kid’s room furniture because it is a fun thing to do with your entire family. Listen to your child and ask his/her opinion about the color scheme and style that can match his/her personality. The important part of it all is the fun and enjoyment of putting together a cool room for your little one.

Make Gardening a Family Event

Posted on 30 March 2010 by admin

Show them how much you enjoy gardening. Spend time in your garden. It is especially easy to stimulate a child’s interests when they see you having fun.

Make gardening easy. Don’t expect a perfect garden. Allow your family to work at their own pace and within their attention spans and age range, especially children.

Dig it! Kids love to dig. This is a great way to teach the basics while letting them play and just have fun. 

Let them play an active role in planning. Take your children to the local nursery and let them pick seeds or transplants to start their garden. Take your time and let them browse and enjoy all of the beautiful plants.

Grow a theme garden. This is a great way to let your children use their imagination and express their creativity. The sky is the limit. Some great ideas are gardens that coincide with the holidays, alphabet gardens, a garden themed in their favorite colors, a sensory garden where you can experience different smells, tastes, textures and sights, or a “Freedom Garden”.

Give children their own “kid sized” tools. They don’t have to be expensive. You can go with an old spoon and a bucket that you have around the house or you can venture down to the garden center and purchase garden tools made for children’s hands.

Give them a space to call their own. It doesn’t have to be big. This will teach them ownership and responsibility, and your children will be able to take credit for their own little space.

Get crafty! Press or dry flowers to make a beautiful arrangement, make potpourri, or make a pomander ball. Children love making things and will be amazed at the crafts and gifts that they can make from the garden.

Grow a vegetable garden. Your children will be amazed that they can grow their own food. Be sure to use organic pesticides.

Use gardening to brush up your children’s math and science skills. Let them count the seeds they are planting, or teach them how plants are living things. Not only will you capture their attention, you will be polishing their skills as you go.

Have a contest. Kids love to be rewarded. Be sure to give each child a reward; the biggest tomato, the prettiest flower, or perhaps the best tasting herbs (a little Spray-N-Grow will help!)

Don’t try to do it all! Pick a few of these tips that you know are best for your family and have fun with them. After all, gardening is meant to be fun and easy. And with a little help, something the whole family can enjoy.

Original Article