Tips for Curbing Your Sweet Tooth

You may crave sweets during pregnancy, but eating too much sugar will increase your chances of having a big baby and subsequent complications during labor. Everything you eat, your baby eats, too, so eating a balanced and healthy diet is important. That being said, no one expects you to cut out sweets altogether. Here are some tips for curbing that sweet tooth. 1. Go for a quick walk. Taking a fifteen minute walk has been proven to reduce cravings, according to a study published in the journal Appetite. So if you’ve already met your dessert quota for a day, hit … Continue reading

Adding to Your Home’s Curb Appeal

Curb appeal is important even if you aren’t selling your home. It’s still the first impression people receive when they arrive. You want the yard and exterior to be inviting, either so guests will relax outdoors or feel welcome to come in. Here are some simple curb appeal solutions: Great Outdoor Seating Get rid of those old, webbed lawn chairs that you’ve had since you moved in or at the very least, save them for the beach. Pick up a couple of news chairs and a small table and put together a cozy little seating area. If you need to … Continue reading

Top Low Cost Projects that Will Increase Your Home’s Value

Renovating your home right now is a good idea for a couple of reasons. Since real estate prices are still unstable, it may make more sense to stay in your home and improving it instead of looking for a new one. Plus, if you improve your home’s value now, you will be in better shape later, if you do choose to sell. Steel Entry Doors With the uncertainty of the world, there are two things that many buyers are looking for these days: energy efficiency and security. Installing steel entry doors is a good investment. They can actually cost less … Continue reading

Beautiful Gardens

Am I the only one itching to plant a garden? As soon as we have a warm day or two I’m day dreaming about my yard. I have a confession, I’ve already planted peas and will get the beets and lettuce in the ground this weekend. Planting a vegetable garden does wonders for your budget and your eating habits. Yes, growing tomatoes takes longer than going to the store but just imagine how wonderful that salsa will taste when you can say it all came out of your garden. Also, when you grow it you know what chemicals it’s been … Continue reading

Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival 2012

Disney fans have one big sign for the coming of spring, and it has nothing to do with a certain ceremonial groundhog. Nope, it’s something much more floral. Once the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival has kicked off, we know that spring is coming. Of course this is a bit of a cheat; as I said last year, the festival takes place in Orlando. That means it’s nice and warm for them year round. Oh, I know that some Orlando residents complain of the chilly 50-degree weather they sometimes get in the winter, but the rest of us living … Continue reading

How to Plan an Artful Container Garden

You can really enhance your curb appeal and transform your outdoor space through the artful arrangement of plants in container gardening. Think of it as instant art meets practical appeal. Container gardening makes everything flexible enough to be changed with your mood or the seasons. Here are some tips on successful container gardening. Think about the size of your pots. Larger pots make a bigger impact and generally look better against the scale of your home. Lots of little pots can look messy and uninspired. Mix up sizes for interest, but then tie them together in other ways, such as … Continue reading

Fall Planting

Now that the temperatures are bringing crisp mornings and gentle breezes, it is time to start thinking about incorporating fall colors into your home landscaping through flowers. There are a few reasons why fall plantings of flowers are important. First off, planting tender flowers that give a lot of color and curb appeal, but will fade by winter, is the true mark of a landscaping enthusiast. Second, newly planted fall flowers will enhance and play off of your existing landscaping, as your trees begin their wonderful display of fall foliage and berries in the bushes. Third, if your yard is … Continue reading

Recession Giving Birth to More Frugals

With all of the changes in personal economic outlook do to high gas prices, high food prices and high everything-related-to-food-or-fuel prices, the majority of consumers are changing their spending habits and becoming more frugal. According to a news report by AP news, many of those new”frugals” are planning to remain frugal, even if their financial outlook improves. The research company Nielsen Co, tracks consumer habits. It says that about 63 percent of consumers are cutting their spending. In the AP article, former spendthrifts are taking drastic measures to curb shopping, such as applying shoe glue to a peeling sneaker sole, … Continue reading

Home Week in Review: June 16 – 22

We hope you enjoyed this week’s articles. If you missed any of them, here is a handy round up: Three Painting Tips Painting a room is an easy and affordable way to update it, change the decor and make it fresh. If you change nothing else, a coat or two of paint will be a big improvement for your home. Here are three painting tips to help you in your project. Summertime Schedule Looking at the title, you might ask, “What schedule?” Many families who have children home from school for summer vacation have no real household routine during the … Continue reading

4 Landscape Lighting Types

Outside lighting is one of the newest trends in curb appeal of a home. Once used for safety and security, landscape lighting now also serves to enhance your home. If you are ready to take on some landscape lightening, you’ll want to know all about the four most popular lighting types. Here they are. Tier Lighting Tier lighting usually contains multiple levels or pyramid shapes. Think of a small post that has a small hanging lantern from it. Tier lighting casts light over small areas and can be used for narrow paths and level walkways. They are usually available as … Continue reading