Useful Stuff About Traveling » Home and Garden

How to Throw a Party Outdoors

Laura — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 13:57:54 +0000

Having a party outdoors is a lovely way to make celebrating an occasion even more special. On a warm summers evening or even during the cooler months, consider moving your party out into your garden. Having outdoor pavers gives you an area to set up your outdoor furniture so you have somewhere for guests to sit comfortably and eat. When organizing your outdoor party there are a few things you will need to consider, such as organizing enough seating for everyone, making sure the area is well lit and that you have prepared the right menu. In summer make sure you have plenty of water on hand for guests to help themselves to, particularly if you are serving alcohol. A water filter is handy to have because it means you will always have fresh clean water on tap.

Guest list

The first thing you normally do when organizing a party is think about who you will be inviting. It is important to sort out your guest list first so you can work out whether you need to hire or find extra furniture to accommodate everyone and you need to know how much food and drinks to buy. The trick with organising any party is to give guests plenty of warning. Send out invitations a few weeks in advance. Everyone is so busy nowadays with work and family commitments it is a good idea to get in early and give people notice. If you are planning your party around Christmas or New Years this is a busy time so get your invitations out as soon as you can.

The usual menu for an outdoor party is a barbecue. It’s quick and easy and usually means a night off cooking for the female of the household. Instead of a barbecue try something a little different instead. Plan a meal to suit the evening or the season. In summer seafood is great, or have a Thai or Indian menu planned. If you have an outdoor heater or open fire place outside you can use your outdoor area in winter, so serve something hearty like a lasagna or rich stew. If you have decided on having a theme for your party plan your menu around this, for example Mexican food or tropical dishes for a Hawaiian Island night.

Lighting

Don’t just switch on the fluorescent lighting outside your back door. Create a mood for your evening with your lighting. If you have garden lights switch these on, and if you have a swimming pool turn on the light so your whole pool is illuminated. Fairy lights look lovely strung up in the trees around the back garden or you might want to buy some tiki lights, which aren’t that expensive.

Theme

Having a theme for your party can be a bit of fun. Give people an excuse to pull out their best cocktail dresses and evening wear by having a cocktail party. If you are inviting a lot of married couples have everyone wear their wedding dresses and suits. Parties depicting a certain decade are always fun, like the 1970s or 1980s, or take it back to the war years and have a 1940s party and have your stereo blaring with Big Band music.

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The Quick Tour Guide To Declutter the House

Laura — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 14:41:33 +0000

Image by elycefeliz via Flickr

Decluttering is not just about making housekeeping less complicated it is also fitter, both psychologically and physically. We do not frequently understand how much muddle is impacting our mood or ability to think till we’ve got rid of it. Less clutter also implies less places for dust mites, any quantity of bugs, and other allergens to lie low.

A good decluttering exercising is to take a tour of your home. This makes the project controllable you can select which rooms to hit based primarily on your energy level and time available on a selected day. Therefore let’s start our tour:

Front Hall:
Most entryways have some table or other area that becomes a junking ground as members of the household walk through the door. (If you follow Flylady, you will know that this is sometimes known as a hot spot.) Target that hot spot and begin by removing everything and placing it in a pile or box.

Then sort the pile — optimally, it’s 2 piles, “like it/use it” and “toss/donate it”, but most folks like the comfort of having a 3rd “perhaps” pile. Now wipe down that tabletop and select the minimum number of items from the “love it/use it” pile and, if the entryway is indeed the most logical place for them, return them to the table. For the remainder of the stuff in the keep pile, either get a new, more logical home for them, or use an out-of-sight option (a drawer or cabinet) in the entryway if you have one. Your chuck it and perhaps piles will travel with you on the remainder of your home tour.

Take a big breath and enjoy how nice that entryway looks now.

Kitchen:
First, empty all the drawers and cupboards (yes, I’m serious) and clear off the counters, and again separate into three piles. As you separate, look at anything you have multiples of and decide how many you actually need those 7 extra novelty mugs can go in the perhaps pile for the moment. Now, out of the use it pile, figure out what items you use on a day-to-day basis. Put those things inside arms reach in the best location available. The giant mix-master that you use every couple of months belongs in a cupboard.

Take this chance to wash out your chiller, tossing anything out of date. Think about getting rid of much of the magnets and other paper muddle that folks seem to collect on the fridge a drawer keeps these things reachable without the visible mess.

Bathroom:
Clean out your medication cabinets and drawers comprehensively, trashing expired drugs and old or almost-empty makeup items. Just keep the items you actually use. You can keep one set of sample-size bath products with your bags, but donate the remainder of your collection.

Clear your worktop just as you probably did in the other areas of the house items you use daily should be inside reach, or otherwise try to keep the surface clear. This makes cleaning so much easier. If you do need extra storage, there are creative wall solutions that won’t mess up your counters.

finally, do not forget to clear out the shower stall and / or tub, using the same steering principles. You can mix most shampoos if you have multiple nearly-empty bottles occupying space.

Bedrooms:
Your nightstand is without doubt another hot spot. Clear out the drawers, and only keep whatever you are presently reading and your alarm clock and a lamp out on the surface. Next, tackle your closets and dressers with the same keep it, toss it and perhaps classes as your steering elements. If it does not fit or needs mending, don’t continue to cling on to it.

Laundry Room:
This one can be daunting, as the laundry room frequently becomes a straightforward storage spot for plenty of us. These things can be tossed: old paint cans, tiles, etc, empty bottles of laundry detergent, anything with mold, and anything you do not use. Switch things that do not truly belong in your laundry room. (Spare paper towels, bulbs and linens should be in hall closets or linen closets. Toss anything that looks warn you need fewer sets of towels than you suspect.)

Keeping your home clutter free is vital for quick and efficient cleaning. Pam has more articles on keeping house, or you can visit her website and sign up for Pam’s free email course.

Refrigerators Buying Guide

Plans to Remodel the Back Garden

Laura — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 21:44:43 +0000

Image by Vincent Ma via Flickr

Winter will start this week but rain and cold is already striking hard. It rains constantly and we barely can spend time outdoors.

In the beginning of January, if the weather lets me, I’m going to plant strawberries and lettuce on my back garden. I also want to arrange my barbecue area. I need something to cover the area. A wooden structure is what I prefer but an alternative is welcome.

Also the wall around the barbecue needs to be remodeled and painted. I’m thinking about using glass tiles like the ones used in kitchens and bathrooms. The wall is made of bricks and cement so I guess it will look great if I cover it with the glass tiles.

Some extra plants and flowers also need to be planted but I have to wait until we are closer to Spring.

Quit Your Job and Never Go Back

Use Paper Lanterns for your Christmas Lighting

Laura — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 10:37:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Christmas season is on and all of us love to have decorative lighting in and around our housing during this festive season. However, not many of us have lighting solutions ready. Moreover, tight financial situation is also a problem. So, how to make good lighting without spending much on expensive lighting fixtures?

A simple and economic way to decorate your home and garden is by using paper lanterns. Paper lanterns are available in several shapes, sizes, designs, and colors. You can use paper lanterns at different places to give a complete look to the decoration of the celebration.

Nowadays, more and more parties are being decorated using paper lanterns. It does not make much sense in spending a lot of money for the lighting that has to be removed in a day or two. In addition to this, you can use paper lanterns for several purposes. You can use a dim pink light to create a romantic atmosphere for a wedding or a yellow light to create a spooky ambiance for Halloween.

Paper lanterns can be put upon a number of lighting usages. Whether you want to create a relaxed and casual mood, or want to show your excitement regarding the festive season, there is no limit to the various experiments that you can carry out using paper lanterns.

You can easily find out paper lanterns from various stores in your vicinity. In some stores you can find paper lanterns as cheap as $2. You can also try online stores for buying paper lanterns. It is easy, convenient, and at the same time you can browse through their large range of paper lanterns and order the design that fits well into your need. You can browse through websites of various online stores and compare them to find the best priced online store for paper lanterns.

Paper lanterns look lovely both for indoor as well as outdoor decoration. They can be hanged from the branch of a tree or can be placed in an empty corner to enhance its beauty. They offer the most economical way for elegant lighting to your celebration.
Article brought to you by John k. Chen who writes for asianimportstore.com visit our site for papaer lanterns and parasols.
Article Source: ArticleRich.com

Small SPA at Home

Laura — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 10:09:46 +0000

Image by blmiers2 via Flickr

Friends and family that visit me at home ask me why don’t I change my backyard into a more sophisticated space.

During Summer we put a Intex pool in the middle of the backyard for the kids but I still have a lot of space around. I received an interesting idea from a friend that told me it would be interesting to build a small spa there. A jacuzzi or a hot tub would be perfect but I would have to extend the roof to cover it. I already have one person that promised to offer us a spa cover if I build the small spa.

I must confess that is an attractive idea but I have to earn the money first.

Do you have a hot tub or mini spa at home? Was it expensive?

A Close Look at Tom Faulker Work

Laura — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 09:16:27 +0000

Tom Faulker produces metal and glass furniture, aimed at consumers looking for unique and beautiful pieces to build a beautiful living space. Most furniture will match other pieces in a collection, providing taste and a cohesive look with minimal effort. You can order from their site directly or visit their showroom in Chelsea Reach or Italy. While most contemporary furniture bought today is mass-manufactured, everything sold through this brand is handmade by skilled craftsmen.

The Showroom

When you visit the showroom, you walk into a room with bright paintings on subdued colored walls with light from their beautiful floor length windows helps you imagine what this furniture could look like in your own home.

Taste

If your tastes run more towards contemporary modern styles, this is the furniture for you. They don’t craft traditional pieces made from wood, so keep that in mind. Metal and glass forged furniture is usually best for open spaces with a lot of light, and can match just about any style.

Collection

Their collection has the typical fair of tables, beds, chairs and mirrors.

The dining tables come in three shapes; rectangular, oval, and round. The oval and round styles will strike a chord with any modernist, but if you’re building on a collection, you may want to pick the rectangular style dining table.

The chairs come in a wide variety of styles, their Chelsea line which is a swirling patterned PC fabric (polycarbonate), the Gemini that would satisfy any staunch minimalist, and the Libra that would feel at home with any traditional setting.

In their coffee table section, you can choose between rectangular/square and round designs. Both types come with options for chrome and more standard finishes. One thing to note is in the round tables the glass is inlaid, which is good if you have children, the rectangular type’s glass surface overhangs with corners.

The bedframes are gorgeous iron wrought frames, some available in silver leaf. They go from whimsical designs and Spartan straight lines.

The last highlight of their collection is their lighting and mirror offerings. With many lamps that come in table and floor varieties, but the stars are their mirror collection. These range from perfectly round to delightfully asymmetrical. One, the Kooh-I-Noor mirror, is over 206cm high and 116cm wide, with randomly faceted edges.

If you’re shopping for high end contemporary furniture that is handcrafted with love, Tom Faulker is highly recommended.

New Season, New Changes

Laura — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 19:12:58 +0000

I am in the mood of changing the house decoration a little. I can’t afford new furniture so, I just want to move the location of the furniture I have.

Autumn is here and a change of season means a change in our life. Colds and flu’s are going to start attacking everybody, allergies, why not furniture too. I really would like to have some rustic furniture in the living room but for now I have to stay a few more years with my old couch’s. I’m thinking about restoring them myself. They are made of a sort of leather that is already a lot little damaged and I want o cover them with a new sort of cloth. My bedroom furniture also needs a coat of paint, it’s white and I want it brown or black.

Some people prefer to do these changes during spring but I prefer to do it now. Autumn is already a darker season, why not lighten it up with some changes around the house?

Sydney Harbour Side Table – Frontgate,Patio Furniture

Outdoor Toys to Entertain Your Children

Laura — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:50:28 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

If you have two kids at home like me you perfectly know that you have to keep them entertained otherwise they get bored, irritated and it’s difficult to deal with. I knew I was going to be at home the whole Summer so I took advantage of having an Intex pool in the backyard to keep the kids busy.

Having a pool is a great add on to the summer activities, and the kids end up making up other activities related to the pool that are done near the pool.

However the pool is not the only solution. For those looking for alternative activities that can be done in the backyard The Outdoor Toy Company has other ideas for you depending on the space you have available. Trampolines can be very entertaining as well as Garden Swings, Sand Pits, Seesaws or Bikes.

We have a Garden Swing in the garden but my kids don’t use it so, take into consideration the children’s age when buying the outdoor toys.

Keep in mind that every time your kids are outside they need to wear a hat and sun protector to prevent insulation and sun burns.

Holiday Photos

Laura — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 20:22:47 +0000

: Image via Wikipedia

We are having wonderful holidays and I’ve been taking photos to the places we visit. We are staying at home but we are taking advantage of the good weather to live the house in the morning and return in the afternoon. We have been to several places already and I have great photos of my kids. In fact, I’m thinking about making some holiday photo cards so that the kids can offer them to the grandparents.

Last year I had a small problem with the holiday’s photos because I deleted them before saving them into the computer. I’m glad, at the time, I found a good program to recover the digital photos I had not lost.

I miss the photo albums from past years, now I have everything on the hard disk. Maybe it’s time to pick up the best photos and print them out.

Book: Ultimate Guide: Barns, Sheds & Outbuildings

Laura — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:27:23 +0000

The Ultimate Guide: Barns, Sheds & Outbuildings was written with the DIY’s in mind. This book explains how to design, plan, build and finish an utility building.

From building foundations to flooring, from door knob installation to window installation, from roofing to wiring, this books provides us with detailed information on every step we have to follow to have a complete and functional building.