Search Results for: blog lighting the way for guests

Gas Tank Getaway: Six Flags Great America

Don’t let high gas prices keep you home this summer.  There’s no need to sweat it out in your backyard when extreme family fun is less than a tank of gas away. If you live in Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan or Illinois, a mecca of mind-blowing adventure awaits at Six Flags Great America.  The popular theme park is located in Gurnee, Illinois; less than an hour’s drive from Chicago, Milwaukee, and a host of other major Midwestern cities. Great America’s convenient location is a major timesaver, but the savings don’t stop there.  In addition to banking gas money, you can continue … Continue reading →

Spotlighting Family

Family reunion season is right around the corner. I’m reminded of this on a near daily basis, as my clan is responsible for helping host the upcoming summer shindig. Due to distance issues, I have been relegated to designing a scrapbook of the event. Basically, I will be the official photographer for the three-day extravaganza, and then my aunt and I will go through the images and figure out a way to craft organized layouts. In addition to documenting the actual party and subsequent activities, my mom wants the reunion scrapbook to also include family tree-type features. Her vision is … Continue reading →

Easy Ways to Prepare for a Halloween Party

If the Halloween party is at your home this year, you may be experiencing a mixture of excitement and anxiety. But you can certainly make your home look “bootiful” with a few well-placed “tricks.” Lighting can go a long way to creating a nice atmosphere for a Halloween party. If you don’t already have them, you might want to consider installing dimmers on your main lights (plus you can use them to save energy all year long).If you don’t want to go with dimmers, you can turn your lights off or switch out the bulbs to ones with a lower … Continue reading →

On Lighting for the Home

My daughter asked what I was working on and I replied, “I’m going to write about lighting.” “Well, duh,” she said, “we need light so we can see.” I had to laugh. It’s true that lighting is an element that provides a basic function in every home, creating enough light to see, but there is a little more to it. Lighting can also be used to set a mood or to make a room feel cozier. Bright light can make a space appear larger and give it an airy feel. There is also task lighting, like the light that sits … Continue reading →

Lighting For The Dining Room: Do You Dare?

Dining room lighting is almost always synonymous with chandeliers and so we will assume that all of you out there have one or aspire to have one. (Steal one from your neighbors, if you don’t. We want you to fit in.) For optimum results, and pleasing proportion, the bottom of the chandelier should be between thirty-six and forty-two inches from the tabletop. Don’t do like that old Clint Eastwood movie and hang em too high. The chandelier should also be on separate dimmers so that you can control the light level and mood. Don’t worry about hopes dimming as well … Continue reading →

Lighting The Way For Guests

When is there too much light in a guest room and when is there not enough? Do you have to wait until someone bangs into something and breaks a toe before making a final evaluation of the situation? Well, Cheer up. The answer is go for more, lighten the way and keep on reading. To create a pleasant atmosphere, turn off the overheads and turn on the lamps. This is more intimate and conducive to conversation. If walls are deeply colored, at least three floor, table and wall lamps are recommended for the average size living room. When you buy … Continue reading →

Affordable Holiday Adventures

Tis the season to be taking advantage of the assortment of holiday events being offered from coast-to-coast. Whether you want to travel near or far, there are a slew of winter wonderland-themed attractions just waiting to be enjoyed by your entire family. And the best part–you won’t have to drain your wallet to experience them: California: The Viejas Outlet Center in Alpine ushers in the holidays with the opening of the largest outdoor ice skating rink in Southern California. If that doesn’t get you in the holiday spirit head to the San Diego North County community of Carlsbad for two … Continue reading →

Lose Fat, Not Money at Hilton

Staying fit on the road can be challenging, especially if you are not a runner and don’t have the luxury of simply slipping on comfy shoes and heading outside to get in a decent workout. For many people, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is priceless and they are willing to spend a pretty penny in order to stick to their current exercise routine. However, that can be hard when you are traveling for business or pleasure. Tracking down a hotel with a gym can be a pain, not to mention costly. Fortunately, Hilton Hotels and Resorts is making it easier to … Continue reading →

A Beastly Glimpse Inside Disney’s Enchanted Forest

Beast’s Castle, still under construction The official Disney Parks blog has posted a ton of videos lately about the Enchanted Forest section of the new Fantasyland expansion. Given that that’s the area that will feature “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast,” I can’t resist highlighting them. Most of the recent sneak peeks have all been about the latter. The earliest videos all previewed the Be Our Guest restaurant. If you’d like to have a meal in the world of “Beauty and the Beast,” this restaurant will be for you. It’ll open with three dining rooms in the middle … Continue reading →

Backyard Beach Bash

If you can’t make it to beach for a summer bash, then bring the sun, sand and surf to your backyard. If you are working on a budget, don’t fret. I am not suggesting that you build a wave pool and truck in a few tons of sand to recreate Waikiki Beach off your patio. Rather, consider the following simple ways to transform your backyard into a summer oasis that your friends and family will flock to in order to ride a wave of fun: Decor: Bright summer flowers are a great way to add pops of color to tables. … Continue reading →