Daily Handy Tips

Archive for July, 2009

Light fittings are things that not many of us think about all that often. However, the lighting in a room can cause us to feel a certain mood or enhance the atmosphere we want to create in that room. There are many types of light fixtures, fittings, bulbs, shades and stands to suit all areas of the home. That means both indoors and even outdoors where you might want to emphasize some special landscape feature.

Are you planning to remodel a room? In this case, I know it concerns a home movie theater room, because my friend, Owen Jones, told me. I think that you should consider light fixtures as one element to change. For instance, you could start by ignoring the central, overhead incandescent bulb or tube light for sure.

My suggestion would be to install four or even six small wall-lights; these are not expensive and come in hundreds of colours and sizes to suit any pocket. The only drawback with wall lighting for your home theater, is that the wires would really have to be chased into the wall so as not to appear unsightly.

However, you could get around this by buying standard lamps. These are also available in a myriad of designs, but they come with two drawbacks: namely trailing wires and a higher cost. They are very easily moveable though. Small, table lamps is a sub-class of this alternative, but you may need more electrical points.

Once you have decided exactly on what style you want, have a dimmer attached to each either in unison or separately, up to you. You should probably keep one reasonably powerful light at the DVD end of the room just in case the equipment needs seeing to, but it too could be on a dimmer.

The effect can be stunning. And all from just changing the existing light fixtures and fittings. You could even go the whole hog and have an exit sign over the door or a few speciality lights higher up out of line of sight so that they are not distracting ” say, a 1970s style lunar lamp and a fibre-optic lamp, for amusement or as a talking point while waiting for the film or snacks to be prepared.

So, whatever style home theater lighting you are thinking of, contemporary or old style traditional, you will find many options to pick from - from different colors to different sizes and styles, there are many. You can find them on the Internet or in home improvement stores. I have made a link to one of my online favourites below.

Furthermore, when you do implement the changes, you will notice that your home theater has taken on an ambiance all of its own and it will “definitely” enhance your home movie theater experience. In fact, it may be these subtle changes, room by room, that make you see your home in a very different light.

It is often hard to find the time to get your hair prepared properly, especially if you are in a hurry. Your hair has everything to do with your appearance, so there can be no compromise. The only solution possible, is to find new ways to save time in order to make room for your hair care needs.

Here are few time saving resolutions to skim some time off your daily schedule and still look good.

Time Saving Resolution Number One:

Do not use too many products when styling you hair. You can easily find products that serve multiple functions. The more products you use, the more damage you are exposing to your hair.

Time Saving Resolution Number Two:

Stop spending your money on cheap hair tools and accessories. Invest your money on tools that produce better results faster. If time is money, then you will regain the extra money you paid for the better tool in more time for yourself.

Time Saving Resolution Number Three:

Follow instructions to maintain your hair properly. Whatever steps needed to maintain the look of your hair, you should take. A well maintained hair will treat you better, especially in the mornings when you are in a hurry.

Time Saving Resolution Number Four:

Get your hair cut or style on a regular basis. Keeping on top of your regularly scheduled hair appointments will make your hair easier to manage.

Time Saving Resolution Number Five:

Get some towels that can absorb a lot of moisture to help your hair dry quicker. The faster your hair gets dried the sooner you can get to styling it.

The best advice of all is to have an idea of what looks compliment your feature. If you already know in advance what your best looks are, you will not have to deal with doing your hair over.

The poet was right when he wrote: Lives there a man with soul so dead… Who never to himself hath said, ” This is my own, my native land …. ? ”

He quite well could have been thinking of his garden. Every tree, shrub and flower takes on added beauty when it is our own. Like the volunteer sunflower seed dropped by the birds that came up in front of my bedroom window. It became a mass of yellow flowers, and grew to the top of the gable. After blooming it was three or four inches across at the base, and it took an ax to cut it down.

Everyone’s children, or the grandchildren, or their dog or whatever happens to be their greatest interest at the time… is prettier, smarter, or something better than what anyone else has. Other peoples brats are cherubs in the eyes of their own moms and dads.

Sometimes I am suspicious that perhaps I am not quite normal. You see, I never just happen to have some pictures of the kids, and Ive had no operation to talk about. But do let me tell you about our chrysanthemums.

I’ve mentioned how some of the plants had withstood dry weather, especially the petunias. Along the garden walks we alternated these with mums. From late fall until frost they were eye-filling, to say the least.

But the ones in front of the house became a traffic hazard. Motorists would be quietly zooming along, minding their own business… we suppose… when they caught a flash of massed color in our yard. Suddenly they would slow down to get a better look. The car behind was trapped. Nothing short of a brake-squealing stop would keep it from hitting the car in front.

Sometimes we would have a half dozen cars lined up. One day I was even conscious of a florists delivery truck pausing to gaze. Fortunately there were never any casualties.

To get the complete picture, and the effect referred to above, lets go back a bit. Our house faces south, and in front of the double windows is a planter. To the east of the office comes the garage, and it originally had a matching pair of double windows.

When the greenhouse was added one of these windows was cut down to floor level to make an entrance. The foundation for the greenhouse was made of cement blocks topped off with bricks, and in front on both sides, brick planter boxes were built up to just below where the glass begins.

For several seasons we had satisfactory results with petunias, pansies, etc. But we decided to plan a whole season ahead. The preceding fall we put towards the front, for early blooming, a row of species tulips (Kaufmanniana). In the back row we had Red tulips, which bloomed next. Between we alternated pink, blue and white hyacinths. These came along while the red tulips were still blooming away.

This was done in the planters along both sides of the greenhouse, as well as in front of the office window. These bulbs did exceptionally well. As the foliage was dying back we put in coleus. Then we added started petunia plants, alternating with rooted chrysanthemums. In front of these we set out some potted plants of pink-blossomed trailing geraniums.

As the mums grew and needed room, we pinched back the coleus and the petunias. Of course the mums were also pinched to make bushy spreading plants. By blooming time the mums, all dwarf low growing varieties, were solid. We had alternated white, lavender, salmon and golden yellow.

Whew! What a sight! Those yellows were so bright I sometimes wondered if they didnt make the sun envious. We had continuous bloom from the early tulips, until after the garden mums were frozen, for the south location protected these for several weeks of extra blooming.

As you may gather, we sort of liked the idea of these masses of colors. Needless to say we will repeat it this season. I am thinking of starting more mums and growing them in pots in the back yard during the summer or build a backyard bridge. Then at blooming time I will line them out along the rest of the house front, where earlier plants have finished blooming.

There is still time to get mums started. I’m sure you’ll enjoy them as much as we do. You’ll find so many beautiful ones, that it is hard to decide which ones to select.

Tips for Planting Glads

Dig planting hole in your annual border for a group of gladiolus corms… make hole 4 inches deep in heavy, clay soils. and 6 inches deep in light, sandy soils.

Place gladiolus corms in hole after first making a “cushion” of granulated soil at the bottom. Space the corms from 4 to 6 inches apart.

Fill in soil over corms. If soil is hard to work, treat it first with a conditioner. For longer blooming, make plantings every two weeks until midsummer.

Building Mum Stock

Chrysanthemums are now pushing up quickly, offering good opportunity for increasing your stock. Cuttings rooted this month and early June will grow into sturdy low plants that require no support whatever. These plants are excellent for bedding, for window boxes and for any other purpose where a low, bushy plant is needed. Chrysanthemums are very easy to transplant; they become established very soon after the shift.

Taking cuttings is a simple process. With a very sharp knife, cut off the top 3 or 4 inches of the plant. Place the cutting in a pail of water or cover it with moist newspaper.

Fill a 3-inch deep flat with pure sand, firm the sand and then soak the flat in a deep pan of water. The sand, when thoroughly wet, should be level with the edges of the flat. Remove the lower two or three leaves of the chrysanthemum cuttings and insert them in rows across the flat, spacing them 2 inches apart. When inserting the cuttings, use a dibber (pointed piece of wood the thickness of a pencil) to make the hole, insert the cutting and firm the sand gently around it. If more than one variety is being rooted, be sure to start at the left side of the flat, inserting a label at the end of a row of one variety and continuing the row with another variety. When the flat is filled, soak it to settle the sand more compactly around the cuttings.

The flat can be set in any convenient spot where it gets sun, but for the first few days when the cuttings are likely to wilt shade them. Like what i am doing, i choose where to cut an orchid especially when i cut orchid stem. An easy method is to rest the newspapers or plastic on a framework made by pushing in six 5-inch stakes around the sides of the flat.

Rooting will take place in three to four weeks. The cuttings can then be removed from the flat and planted directly in a bed in the garden. Space the plants 12 inches apart. When 6 inches tall, snip off the tips to induce bushy, lush growth.

Truth or Consequences is one of the places in New Mexico. This place is situated on the Interstate Highway 25 in the Rio Grande Valley. Its population is around 7500. In the past, this place was called Palomas Springs or Las Palomas. It lies just upstream from Elephant Butte Dam and the lake which makes the region an attraction for the tourists and vacationers as well as for the snowbirds. It is one of the very famous county seat and it serves a number of ranching and agricultural interests.

RV camping is a huge fun in this place due to its picturesque beauty and stunning landscapes. There are a number of campgrounds that offer you all kinds of camping services. Some of the best campgrounds positioned in Truth and Consequences are:

1. Cielo Vista RV Park The RV Park offers you about 70 sites with a big rig access. Some of the accommodations that they offer are: pull-thru sites, shade trees, pets allowed, family friendly camping. Cable TV facility is also provided here. This place is simply amazing for you to visit.

2. RJ RV Park The RV Park is situated just 1 mile away from the town and a number of restaurants. Weather of this place is very enjoyable. The campground offers you a total of 47 sites. Some of the facilities that they offer are: 15 amp power, campers and full hook-ups. There is also an area workshop situated in this RV Park.

3. Monticello RV Park There are about 69 sites in this RV Park. They offer pull-thru sites to you and even allow your pets. Electricity and 50 amp facilities are also available in this Park. The campground is absolutely family friendly for all kinds of families.

4. Riverbend Hot Springs There are about 6 sites that this campground offers you. They allow your pets and full pull-thru sites are available in this campground. They provide wireless internet services in a stunning atmosphere.

5. Lakeview RV Park The RV Park offers 31 full hook-ups, 4 tent sites, and two camping cabins. The striking campground is open all year round. Laundry and waste dump services are available here. You can enjoy a number of activities here including: hiking, swimming, and fishing. This is simply a place of your dreams.

These are some of the RV camp grounds in this region. They are definitely very beautiful and you will definitely enjoy your visit.