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Decorating or re-decorating your bathroom does not have to cost you your entire savings, or your whole paycheck. You can find creative ways to renovate one of your home’s most-used rooms for a fraction of what you may think it would cost. Bathroom and kitchen renovations can be one of the most expensive to carry out, and the cost is not necessarily reflected in increased value in your property.
Useful Bathroom Re-Decoration Tips
You can find plenty of timeless decorative items at thrift stores, rummage sales, and online stores. Items people have found to accent their bathroom include one or more of the following: brass toilet paper holders, tissue holders, hanging shelves, towel racks, and shower curtains.
If you do not like the color of your bathroom tile you can find paint that is especially made for porcelain materials at your local hardware store. You might even be able to find out if you can repaint your toilet as well which would save you even more money.
Beware that you will need to sand it before you attempt to paint any porcelain fixture. You will also want to take precaution by testing the paint in an inconspicuous area of the fixture you want to change the color of. is advisable to test the paint in an inconspicuous area of the time you want to change.
If you want to somehow update your outdated bathroom color scheme you can do so without ripping the entire bathroom apart. For instance, sometimes if you add the smallest change, such as wallpaper border that blends with the two or more colors of your bathroom.
You can also accent the outdated color scheme by purchasing inexpensive modern bathroom decor. For instance, you can buy a toothbrush cover, soap dish, tissue holder, or framed picture to hang in this beloved room of your home.
Perhaps if you want a change paint the walls of your bathroom to compliment your cabinets, sink, or bathtub if they are a different color. Similarly, you can use colored rugs that coordinate or contrast with the rest of the colors of your fixtures.
One recommendation for painting in your bathroom that would not take much work or money would be the “in” color Terra Cotta. It is one that is more popular now. You could possibly use various texturing techniques to combine a new color over the top of the old color if your walls are still in prime condition.
If you have a very, very, old and ugly shade of green, yellow, gold, orange, or similar color you could try for a certain theme. For instance, you might want to try a tropical theme, and perhaps you can find a palm tree border.
You can take care of rust problems on fixtures such as towel bars with a special cleaner. Before you know it they will be like new again. Rust-o-leum paint is one of the most current recommendations, and they are coming out with brand new colors now.
Another easy way to add some life to your stale bathroom is to purchase stencils and special craft paints. In fact, one experience indicates certain craft paints are removable from tile just by applying a razor blade (something to try at your own risk, especially if you rent).
The use of Deco-Stix or cling plastic accents is also used to decorate tiles. These are also very easily removable if you want to change the theme for various holidays, seasons, or special occasions.
The easiest way to recover a mix-up bathroom that includes all kinds of mismatched colors is to add a multi-colored rug that includes all the same colors. It will cleverly look like your bathroom is supposed to be crazy like it is.
The above-mentioned ideas should get you started. If you are still cannot decide on what inexpensive measures you can take to re-decorate your bathroom take some time to view samples of bathroom themes.Home improvement websites and do-it-yourself magazines often feature various rooms of the home you are interested in changing. You can even find instructions on how to carry out the change you would like to implement in your bathroom interior theme.
What are your top tips for bathroom renovation on a budget?

Planning Your Wedding

Your wedding will be one of the most memorable events of your life, whether you go for huge formal occasion,or a small,intimate ceremony.

Getting the details right is a challenge however you decide to celebrate.

So, the way you plan the day is of utmost importance .

The ‘B’ word-budget, a word no-one wants to use but we all have to .It may be a large wedding budget (lucky you!) but ultimately everyone has a particular amount at their disposal.

The way you allocate your funds is a large part of the initial planning process. Your guest list, the ceremony venue, your reception venue, & the photographer/videographer are probably the major start items on your agenda. Word of mouth is often a good recommendation as to the quality of a particular business, but always check it out yourself.

Go to the reception venue when its set up to see if it fits your idea ,& definitely eat a sample of your menu.

When you’ve made your decision & paid a deposit, make sure you get in writing what you are both (Client & supplier) agreeing to. When you are so busy, & dealing with many different groups of people, it is easy to get confused .If you have a contract to refer to, the details are there in black & white so everyone knows where they stand. Remember, you are potentially spending thousands of dollars, so it is important to keep a track of it !

Every bride has a different idea of what makes the ultimate wedding. Don’t be afraid to rope in any clever or talented friends or family to help you- this can save you money & time in some areas so you can spend it (or save it!) in others.

Hopefully, the amount of time, effort & energy you put into your wedding plans will be reflected in the smooth running of your wedding day. However, there are several factors none of us has control over – the weather ,for instance. Always have back-up plans in place if anything is dependant on fair weather.

On ‘The Day,’ many of the things you spent days worrying about will seem totally irrelevant, & all you will want to do is celebrate surrounded by your best family & friends .It is a wonderful day & the most important planning tip of all is ‘ Plan to enjoy yourself !’. You can buy now our complete winter wedding guide click here
http://www.healthylivingebooks.com/family-occasions/winter-wedding/#ordernow

Move more and eat well to look fabulous and feel great about yourself. Instead of looking to the latest fad diet for a quick weight loss fix, only to later put all the weight back on, consider if there is an imbalance in your life somewhere? There is no quick fix to weight loss but for lasting results, change your attitude to eat well and moving more.

It is not easy to make changes to your lifestyle habits and it’s even harder to make them permanent. You need the help to create the enthusiasm and motivation to help you start and stick with a plan for a healthier lifestyle. If you begin to look and feel good those immediate rewards will keep you going and motivate you to go further.

The art of cake decorating is centuries old. Around the world, people have used the
art of cake decorating to make elaborate edible sculptures that are the centerpieces
of holidays, birthdays, and all kinds of special occasions. In any celebratory meal,
having a gorgeous cake as a dessert is the crowning culinary delight of the evening.
Have you ever looked at a particularly fancy cake and thought, how do they do that?
The artist probably spent years perfecting the art of cake decorating in order to
create that cake. Some Sugarcraft artists will sell their designs; some will teach
classes and teach students how to make their “signature” cakes and some will guard
their techniques like a national security secret.
You can decorate like an expert in no time at all with our complete guide click here now ;

http://healthylivingebooks.com/cooking/cake-decorating/

Do you admire other people’s gardens but think that you could never have one?
Many people love to look at their neighbor’s lovely gardens in the spring and
summer or chat with their neighbors as their neighbors work in their gardens and
they think how nice it would be to have a lovely garden of their own, but think that
they could never create a garden. It’s not as hard as you might think to create a
beautiful garden full of healthy, thriving plants. It takes some patience, some
know how, and some planning, but you can create a beautiful garden in your
yard.
The biggest reason that people think they can’t create their own beautiful
gardens is because they think that gardening requires a great deal of time and
effort and a considerable amount of knowledge about plants.
Our easy gardening guide gives you the strategies to build a beautiful garden, click here to get your copy now;
http://healthylivingebooks.com/home/beginners/#ordernow

You have probably heard of Feng Shui in many different contexts. Most often,
Feng Shui is mentioned as a way to move your furniture around in order to
achieve a sort of harmonious balance within the home. Although the placement
of your furniture is indeed a major aspect of making your home and other places
more Feng Shui friendly, there is a lot more to this ancient practice. You may
not have realized it, but Feng Shui is something that has been around for a very
long time, and, although it is quite trendy nowadays, it has been in use by
people for many, many years. As with many ancient practices, Feng Shui has
experienced a rebirth within Western civilization as people continue to search for
ways to strike a harmonious balance within their lives. Feng Shui is multifaceted
and at times can be quite complex, but if you simply want to know the basics
behind Feng Shui so that you can give it a try within your own home then it isn’t
too terribly difficult to start.
You can start now with our complete guide

Choosing the flowers you will have for your wedding is one of the nicest tasks you will do as a bride.Some girls will have their dream bouquet worked out from when they were little,others will clutch at their heads thinking “I don’t know one flower from the next!”.

If you fall into the 2nd category,don’t panic! One of the best strategies is to buy,or borrow,a few wedding mags,and just browse through them & pick out anything that appeals to you.A particular shade of pink,the colour of a rose,the way a bouquet is held.As you build your collection of images,it will help you to decide on a theme .Just keep your eyes open & clip anything you like the look of.

There are many beautiful flowers available almost the whole year round now,such as roses & lilies.Orchids are another reliable wedding flower,especially in warmer areas as they can stand up to the climate.

An unlimited budget would be amazing when planning your wedding flowers,but lets be realistic.Recent trends have included single blooms in bud vases grouped together in your tables.You could purchase the vases yourself in multiple online,then just get your florist to organise the fresh flower component on the day.That way you still have the luxury of fresh flowers,without a huge price tag.

Many brides find that as you start making decisions ,it all flows on from there,Your florist will be able to assist you with the finer details,however you need to have your vision to begin with.Remember,it’s YOUR day,do it the way you want it done!

Every year on February 14th, across the country, chocolates, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine’s Day — and its patron saint — is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.
One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.
Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.
According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first ‘valentine’ greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl — who may have been his jailor’s daughter — who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed ‘From your Valentine,’ an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It’s no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.
While some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death or burial — which probably occurred around 270 A.D — others claim that the Christian church may have decided to celebrate Valentine’s feast day in the middle of February in an effort to ‘christianize’ celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival. In ancient Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification. Houses were ritually cleansed by sweeping them out and then sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors. Lupercalia, which began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.
What Valentine’s Day gifts will you be giving this year?
This article brought to you by www.healthylivingebooks.com

ONIONS

In 1919 when the flu killed 40 million people there was this Doctor that visited the many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu.
Many of the farmers and their family had contracted it and many died.
The doctor came upon this one farmer and to his surprise, everyone was very healthy. When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home, (probably only two rooms back then). The doctor couldn’t believe it and asked if he could have one of the onions and place it under the microscope. She gave him one and when he did this, he did find the flu virus in the onion. It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore, keeping the family healthy.

Now, I heard this story from my hairdresser in NZ. She said that several years ago many of her employees were coming down with the flu and so were many of her customers. The next year she placed several bowls with onions around in her shop. To her surprise, none of her staff got sick. It must work. (And no, she is not in the onion business.)

The moral of the story is, buy some onions and place them in bowls around your home. If you work at a desk, place one or two in your office or under your desk or even on top somewhere. Try it and see what happens. We did it last year and we never got the flu.
If this helps you and your loved ones from getting sick, all the better. If you do get the flu, it just might be a mild case.
Whatever, what have you to lose? Just a few bucks on onions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now there is a P. S. to this for I sent it to a friend in Oregon who regularly contributes material to me on health issues. She replied with this most interesting experience about onions:

Thanks for the reminder. I don’t know about the farmers story…but, I do know that I contacted pneumonia and needless to say I was very ill…I came across an article that said to cut both ends off an onion put one end on a fork and then place the forked end into an empty jar…placing the jar next to the sick patient at night. It said the onion would be black in the morning from the germs… sure enough it happened just like that…the onion was a mess and I began to feel better.

Another thing I read in the article was that onions and garlic placed around the room saved many from the black plague years ago. They have powerful antibacterial, antiseptic properties.

But here is the other important side to remember.

LEFT OVER ONIONS ARE POISONOUS

I have used an onion which has been left in the fridge, and sometimes I don’t use a whole one at one time, so save the other half for later.

Now with this info, I have changed my mind…..will buy smaller onions in the future.

I had the wonderful privilege of touring Mullins Food Products, Makers of mayonnaise. Mullins is huge, and is owned by 11 brothers and sisters in the Mullins family. My friend, Jeanne, is the CEO.

Questions about food poisoning came up, and I wanted to share what I learned from a chemist.

The guy who gave us our tour is named Ed. He’s one of the brothers Ed is a chemistry expert and is involved in developing most of the sauce formula.. He’s even developed sauce formula for McDonald’s.

Keep in mind that Ed is a food chemistry whiz. During the tour, someone asked if we really needed to worry about mayonnaise. People are always worried that mayonnaise will spoil. Ed’s answer will surprise you. Ed said that all commercially- made Mayo is completely safe.

“It doesn’t even have to be refrigerated. No harm in refrigerating it, but it’s not really necessary.” He explained that the pH in mayonnaise is set at a point that bacteria could not survive in that environment. He then talked about the quaint essential picnic, with the bowl of potato salad
sitting on the table and how everyone blames the mayonnaise when someone gets sick.

Ed says that when food poisoning is reported, the first thing the officials look for is when the ‘victim’ last ate ONIONS and where those onions came from (in the potato salad?). Ed says it’s not the mayonnaise (as long as it’s not homemade Mayo) that spoils in the outdoors. It’s probably the onions, and if not the onions, it’s the POTATOES.

He explained, onions are a huge magnet for bacteria, especially uncooked onions. You should never plan to keep a portion of a sliced onion. He says it’s not even safe if you put it in a zip-lock bag and put it in your refrigerator.

It’s already contaminated enough just by being cut open and out for a bit, that it can be a danger to you (and doubly watch out for those onions you put in your hotdogs at the baseball park!)

Ed says if you take the leftover onion and cook it like crazy you’ll probably be okay, but if you slice that leftover onion and put on your sandwich, you’re asking for trouble. Both the onions and the moist potato in a potato salad, will attract and grow bacteria faster than any commercial mayonnaise will even begin to break down.

So, how’s that for news? Take it for what you will. I (the author) am going to be very careful about my onions from now on. For some reason, I see a lot of credibility coming from a chemist and a company that produces millions of pounds of mayonnaise every year.’

Also, dogs should never eat onions. Their stomachs cannot metabolize onions …..

Please remember it is dangerous to cut onions and try to use it to cook the next day, it becomes highly poisonous for even a single night and creates Toxic bacteria which may cause Adverse Stomach infections because of excess Bile secretions and even Food poisoning.
This article was brought to you by www.healthylivingebooks.com