MyFurnitureOK.com

Whether you are doing a simple redecorating of your bedroom or a total remodel or addition, one way to keep on schedule is to make sure we complete each task with laser focus and avoid going off on a tangent. Very often we begin a project with a specific goal in mind, only to find ourselves sidetracked. It happens every day in every way. The phone or doorbell rings, one of the kids needs help, or your spouse hollers something unintelligible from the basement. Anything can and often does happen to break our concentration.

Staying focused on the current project of your bedroom remodel will help you to be able to move on to the next phase without having to keep thinking about what you missed in the previous phase. This will help you get the entire project done right and on time. Returning to a previous enterprise in order to tweak or fix something is actually a waste of your time whereas, if you had been focused, you wouldn’t have to “do” it again. Isn’t it amazing how often it is that we have the time to do it again, but often don’t have the time to do it right the first time?

So how do you stay focused on your bedroom design project?

In order to stay focused, one should prepare an outline of exactly what the bedroom design will entail. Whether it be a small redecorating project or a huge “take down the walls” remodel, this is an important step. Preparing a written outline is a surefire way to stay focused on your project. You can prepare different plans for separate projects, with several projects ongoing at the same time. During some projects you may encounter “waiting times”, for any number of reasons. Having different project outlines available will ensure that “waiting time” does not necessarily mean “wasted time”.

When writing an outline, it’s important to cover each aspect of your project, from start to finish. Always ask and answer the Who, What, Where, When and How questions. This may sound elementary, even redundant, but it works. And no-one can fault what consistently works.

While preparing your outline, ideas about your bedroom will pop into your head. The “what ifs”, and “could be’s” will enable you to see a great many possibilities to incorporate into your project. Or not. Whether or not you use those ideas to make your bedroom better will determine the completed product. Those ideas and their quality may or may not be incorporated into the final product, but having those ideas now is certainly better than wishing you had planned for them, when it’s too late. You may need to revisit some aspect of your outline. It’s much easier and less costly to revise the plan, than to revise the project after beginning. An outline will enable you to “see around corners”, so to speak. To look ahead and foresee possible problems. It all comes from writing it down. Most of us don’t plan to fail, but very often we fail to plan. Failing to plan is tantamount to planning to fail.

Your outline doesn’t need to be fancy. Depending upon the intricacy of your project, a numbered or bulleted list may serve your purposes. Of course, the more intricate your project, the more intricate your outline will become. You can even incorporate check boxes, so that when those distractions come, as they usually do, you’ll know exactly where you stopped.

Your outline should flow from beginning to end just as if you were actually working on the project. This will help you keep the various phases in perspective. You may need to plan the various phases in detail. These phase plans will become part of your overall plan. For the purposes of building your outline, pretend you’re building a house. The foundation would naturally come first, then the walls, finally the roof. Your outline should follow this “building code”. All worthwhile structures follow this example. The fleshing out of your outline would be the same as the landscaping and decorating of your house. Save them for last. In other words, start with the basics: What, When, Where, Why and How, (the foundation). Then move on to the tools, resources and knowledge, (the walls). Next comes the finish (the roof).

The “outline” stage of your project is where you’ll do most of the learning required to reach a successful conclusion of your project. For example: What tools do you need? Where will you find those tools? How much do they cost? What resources can you find to help you? What resources do you have? Where can you go, or who can you see to gain the necessary know-how? These questions and many more need answering before you can expect to be successful in your project. When you ask yourself these questions and get them answered, often you’ll find the project is within your capabilities. When you write down and follow your plan, one step at a time, the project becomes less daunting. The longest journey begins with one step. When you write your outline and re-read it a few times, your memory will be “unlocked” and sometimes you’ll be amazed at what you already knew.

Now you’re ready to go back and flesh out your outline. This is the decorating part if you are planning a huge remodel and where you can get bogged down with the details if you lose sight of the “big picture”. Take your time with the details; after all, quality is also part of your project. But put together the details in such a way that they can be changed. This is an outline, not a plan carved in stone. You can make revisions, additions, deletions, substitutions and corrections. It’s easier to make those changes now rather than later.

Another important step is to make sure your project has and end date. If you leave it open ended, you will never finish that great master bedroom! You may find that the bedroom completion date needs to be extended but you must put a stake in the sand at the beginning and have a projected end date. This gives everyone something to work for and creates a sense of urgency.

Depending on the extent of your bedroom project, you can use the outline to generate a formal plan with blueprints and diagrams or just a simple drawing of what you want the room to look like if your project does not involve any building.

Lee Dobbins writes for Bedroom Designs and Decorations
where you can learn more about
decorating your bedrooms.

[tags]bedroom, design, decorating, interior decorating, bed, interior design, home improvement[/tags]

For many men and women, baby resting difficulties can become an issue after a while. Being woken up in the middle of the night frequently during a work week can cause reduction in enthusiasm and productivity levels in other portions of life.

Let’s not forget that seeing our babies have trouble sleeping is itself something that is quite alarming as couples. We want the best for our children, and that most definitely includes resolving our baby’s night time sleeping tribulations if applicable.

A few ways you can go about in resolving this circumstance, is to first figure out what are the causes. Doing so will help you find out if it’s simply a matter of changing a few things in the most direct environment, or if it’s about something more mild to significant (in which case it’s best to consult a doctor).

If you baby tends to fall asleep in certain angles, places, or after certain games such as reading a book to him or her, watching TV, or eating, contemplate using these things to your advantage when customizing a workable dozing off routine for your baby.

perhaps your baby enjoys and falls asleep well to certain music, or possibly to the voice of your singing. You can also consider using a rocker to gently sway your baby back and forth till he falls asleep comfortably. Other environmental things you can contemplate are reducing the noise levels while dozing off, and to decrease light from coming in and cause difficulty in resting.

If you baby sleeps a lot through the day, then this may attribute to his night time sleep trouble. If this is the case, you may want to mull over instilling a more natural sleeping pattern for your baby so that they can experience a full day, and rest easy at night to recharge their batteries.

A relaxing baby bed will also help out if the source of the baby sleep headaches is due to negativity in any way, shape, or form.

Please come to my portal for guidelines in regards to newborn sleeps too much at http://www.ababyslullaby.com/newborn-sleeps-too-much/ for more info on baby sleeping developed by Becky Lynn.

[tags]baby sleeping problems, baby crib mattress, kids sleeping bag, baby sleeping bag, baby sleeping patt[/tags]

Feng Shui, the 4,000 year old Chinese practice of arranging our homes to be in harmony with the earth’s energy (chi) so we are balanced with the forces of nature, can be a surprisingly useful tool for making kids feel comfortable in their bedrooms and well rested after a night’s sleep.

Just applying a few Feng Shui principles can make a child’s bedroom feel restful, considerably warmer and more secure.

Colour

The walls of your child’s bedroom and the soft furnishings that you add should be in relaxing colours. Neutral naturals such as blue, light pink, light yellow, beige, peach and green are all calming. Avoid using energising colours like red, dark blue and bold yellow as these are too stimulating for a bedroom. Bright colours are good for playrooms but bedrooms need to be more subdued.

Furniture

Be careful not to cram too much furniture into a child’s room, especially if the space is small anyway. Use furniture that is on a small scale so that your child does not feel dwarfed by their surroundings. Place the bed headboard against a solid wall but avoid positioning it under a window. Also try not to place the bed under skylights, beams or shelves full of books and games.

Lighting

Always provide enough light by using lamps and light fittings. Natural lighting is also important so throw the curtains wide and let the sunshine in. Also, open the window regularly to allow fresh energy into the room. Make sure that your child cannot reach the open window if they are in the room by themselves or without adult supervision.

Linen

Bed linen should be soft and soothing to the child. Brightly coloured sheets are a no-no. Try soft blues (not cold blues) or tone the colour to the paint on the walls. If you would like to add a splash of brightness during the day, throw a cover on the bed that you remove at night.

Possessions

A child’s bedroom should be kept simple and clean. Limit the toys and books that are kept in the bedroom and remove unnecessary clutter. Store out of season clothes and donate items that are not being used or have been outgrown. Keep the bedroom floor clear of objects as energy needs to circulate the room. Also be sure to clear out the space under your child’s bed frequently to prevent the “sticking” of energy. You are aiming for a room that your child can feel focused and energised in. Too many objects create distractions and stifle the space.

Four Items to Add:

Place a hanging crystal in the window - it will reflect colours over the room.

Buy a good quality bed, preferably wooden.

Stick stars on the bedroom ceiling to create a night sky effect.

Positioning a family photo near the bed reminds children of their loving family.

Four Items to Remove:

Never keep rubbish in the room. Place the waste basket outside.

Don’t allow a phone in your child’s bedroom.

Nocturnal pets make too much noise at night to be in a bedroom. Fish tanks should also be removed.

Computers, games consoles and televisions do not encourage quality sleep. At the very least place these devices in a cupboard or behind a screen at night time.

Stella Winstanley is the producer of a children’s bedtime story CD that is specially designed to relax youngsters and encourage restful sleep. Visit http://www.dreamtimetales.com for more articles on helping children sleep better and tips on how to improve their bedroom.

[tags]child, bedroom, improve, feng, shui, restful, colour, furniture, lighting, linen, trouble, sleeping[/tags]

The importance of proper watering cannot be stressed enough for your container garden plants. Container Gardens are exposed to wind and sun so they dry out quicker than plants in the ground. There are no exact rules about watering your container garden plants. You have to become acquainted with the needs of various garden plants. The best tip is to examine them daily and water the plant when the surface of the soil begins to look dry. Feeling the soil will also help you determine the moisture needs of your container garden. Or, take the easy way and invest in a water meter if you are not sure.

How much and when to water will depend on the kind of plant and soil, the type and size of container, and the amount of exposure to sun and wind. Climate and the weather also play their part. During hot spells most plants in your container garden need daily water, except those in small clay pots, which may require it twice. Some plants, like fuchsias and tuberous begonias, wilt when dry, but geraniums and succulents are not so sensitive to neglect. On the other hand, it is good to let soil dry out a little between watering. This prevents the soil from depleting its nutrients.

Since unglazed containers dry out quickest, watch them more closely. Wooden tubs, window boxes, and planters dry out more slowly; metal is the slowest of all. Groups of plants in large containers keep moist longer than single specimens. A good technique to avoid excess dryness is to have groupings of plants, arranged close together. This allows the container plants to shade one another to keep cool and stop moisture evaporation.

There are several methods of watering the plants. If you have many containers in your container garden, depend on the hose, allowing water to flow through slowly and gently. Water small pots with a watering can that has a long spout or buy one of the self watering containers now available. When plants are grouped closely in a container garden, set up a sprinkler or hose with a fine spray nearby, allowing it to run for a long while, until the soil is soaked. In many states where the climate is dry, an automatic sprinkler system is a must to keep your whole garden hydrated. Remember this tip with geraniums and petunias, avoid sprinklers which spot blossoms.

One thing is certain; you must not depend on rain to keep your container garden plants hydrated. Even heavy showers deposit a surprisingly small amount of moisture, and unless rains are frequent and lengthy, you must do your own watering. Remember those window boxes and other containers near houses or under trees can stay dry in spite of an all-day downpour.

Though it is essential to give enough water to your container garden, it is equally important not to over water and so cause root rot. Over-watering also prevents aeration of the soil, and will cause the plant to drown.

One good method is to set your container garden, if the containers are not too large, in a basin or pail of water for several hours, or until the surface of the soil feels moist (this is the theory behind self watering containers). Or immerse the pot in a tub or large barrel of water and leave it there until air is eliminated and the bubbling stops.

The best general rule is to soak soil thoroughly when you water and then allow it to go just a bit dry before you water your container garden again. Best of all, keep a small spiral notebook and paste the care of each plant into it so that you will always have the needs of each individual plant at your fingertips.

If you go away for long periods during the summer, give the container garden serious thought before making it a project. On the other hand, you can enjoy both holidays and plants if you are absent for only short periods. The best safeguard is to entrust your container garden to a responsible friend. Or if you are going away for a vacation at your second home, or one that you have rented, take the container garden with you as a little bit of home.

Several techniques can be practiced. One is to arrange smaller containers in boxes of peat moss, sawdust, or soil, which has been well soaked. Then there is the pot-in-pot method, whereby small pots are set in larger ones, with moist peat moss inserted between.

As mentioned above, in many of the garden centers self watering containers are offered for sale. These are ideal for your container garden when you are traveling or taking a vacation.

Happy Container Gardening!

Copyright © 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives in Central Florida. This allows her to grow gardens inside and outside year round. She has published other articles on Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at http://www.GardeningHerb.com, http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com, and http://www.ContainerGardeningSecrets.com

[tags]container garden plants,container garden,container gardening,container gardens,plants,self watering[/tags]

Wondering Why so Many People Talk about Memory Foam Mattress? Let’s See if it’s Worth Your Attention.

Everybody wants and needs a quality and comfortable sleep at night. If you can’t relax your muscles during a sleep, then you’ll feel worse and worse every next day.

For a person to feel energetic and actually relaxed, she needs a quality night’s sleep. But the problem is that regular coil spring mattresses can’t give the comfort a person needs. Many people complain after sleeping on their old flat mattresses that they have back or neck pain in the morning. And that is quite common, because your body doesn’t lie in a comfortable position during a sleep. Springs simply do not adjust to the shape of your body and thus might give you all kinds of backaches.

So is there a solution to that?

Well it seems like there is. And it’s called - memory foam. Many people claim that memory foam mattress has helped them to relieve back pain and finally gave them a comfortable sleep.

Is that true? Is memory foam mattress really good? Or maybe it’s simply scam created by salespeople to get more sales? Let’s try to dig a little deeper, shall we?

Little Background about Memory Foam

In 1970’s NASA has started a project that was designed to create a material that could help astronauts relieve a pressure they were experiencing during the launches. They wanted a material that could easily conform to the shape of the body of each astronaut. So they have created a memory foam material.

Funny, but it wasn’t used in any space program. Thankfully someone saw the real potential of this material and started to use it in medical industry. It had great success. People were saying that memory foam mattress has helped them a lot. They slept better and felt less or no pain at all. So not long from then, memory foam hit the consumer market. Since then, it continues to increase in popularity until these days.

What’s the Secret of Memory Foam Mattress?

Memory foam mattress is very unique material. It responds to the temperature of your body and also adjusts to the shape of your body. It is able to reduce pressure points and thus relieve from back or neck pain.

You see, as memory foam mattress conforms to the shape of your body, it equally redistributes your weight on the surface. The more points of your body touch the surface of a mattress, the less pressure there is for each point of your body.

This significantly reduces pressure points, improves your blood circulation and reduces or eliminates back pain.

Not All Memory Foam Mattresses are Equal

Be careful, because not all memory foam products are created equal. While there are many good and reputable companies out there, some are really shady and not worth doing business with.

So let’s see what kind of dangers there are and how to avoid them.

Some manufacturers may put inexpensive fillers into the memory foam material to save the money. It’s because a production of quality memory foam material is more expensive.

Such manufacturers do this in order to make the production of memory foam mattresses cheaper and also make the price much lower than other memory foam mattresses. If a person searches for a memory foam mattress online or offline, she’ll definitely choose the cheaper one, because it’s still the same memory foam right; she’ll assume.

But it’s not true.

You have to be careful and stay away from really cheap memory foam mattresses that cost 2 or 3 times less than other mattresses of such type. It’s definitely worth investing a little more money into a quality and more expensive memory foam mattress, instead of cheap one and regret later in the future.

Conclusion

By purchasing a memory foam mattress, you aren’t paying money for a mattress. You’re paying money for your health. You’re investing money into your better sleep and less back pain in the morning. So tell me, is it worth risking your health by purchasing a cheap crap in this case? Definitely not.

Memory foam mattress can be one of the greatest investments you’ll make into your health and comfort. But be careful, because as you can see, there are good and bad memory foam manufacturers. It is really good material and it can relieve your pain and give you the comfort you’re dreaming about. Just look at the price and ask other people if they find the company’s mattress good or bad. You should be able to get yourself a good and quality memory foam mattress that will give you the comfort you want.

Don’t purchase any bed until you read this free electric adjustable bed guide. You may also read more information about health benefits of adjustable beds.

[tags]memory foam mattress, memory foam, memory foam adjustable bed, memory foam beds[/tags]

With the price of gas and electricity on a seemingly endless series of climbs, now is a good time to take a look around your home and see where you can make some energy savings.

Over 20% of the heat lost from your home goes straight out of the roof, so it’s important that you have the attic properly insulated. Even if your attic was insulated when the house was built or any time before the last couple of years, it may not have the right amount of insulation.

Recent government recommendations have almost doubled the suggested amount of insulation, and a minimum thickness of 200-250 mm (8 - 10 inches) is now suggested in temperate areas.

If you do need to top up your attic insulation, it’s easy to do it yourself in a few hours if you are reasonably good at DIY. You don’t need any special tools or skills and it can be much cheaper than paying someone else to do it - as long as you don’t put your foot through the ceiling!

But check before you start as grants may be available to help with part or all of the cost of insulation, especially for the elderly or those on a low income or benefit. If you do decide on the DIY route, remember that some types of insulation are irritants so wear suitable clothing, including gloves, goggles and a facemask when you are laying the insulating material.

Make sure you carefully follow the instructions that come with the insulation, and in particular ensure that you don’t block ventilators or air inlets. Leave a gap around the eaves as well to prevent condensation.

Don’t cover electrical cables and keep insulation away from items such as recessed light fittings that may require airflow to prevent overheating - check if you’re not sure.

The attic will be a lot colder once it’s insulated so make sure that pipes are lagged and water tanks are insulated. Don’t insulate under tanks though - leaving a clear area underneath will allow heat from below to rise and help stop them freezing. Finally don’t forget to insulate and draft proof the access hatch.

Now that the attic is snug, it’s time to look at some of the other areas that you can work on to cut down on the heating bills.

Double glazing your windows is most effective at retaining heat, but if you don’t want to replace your old sash windows just yet, you can save energy by stopping drafts. Seal or caulk any gaps around the frame using a sealant gun and cartridge - your local DIY or hardware store should be able to advise you on the best type for your needs. But whatever sealant you use, first ensure that all the surfaces are clean and dry and that there is no loose or flaking paint which could prevent the sealant adhering.

Fit weather strips to opening windows and doors - these come in many shapes and sizes ranging from cheap and easy to fit self-adhesive foam rubber strips to more expensive but durable plastic or metal weather stripping. Prevent drafts under doors by installing an adjustable threshold or brush type strip at the bottom of the door.

Once the frames are weatherproofed, you can look at reducing heat loss through the window glass itself. The cheapest way of doing this is to use a clear film plastic sheeting which is stuck to the window frame with tape and then warmed with a hairdryer. This causes the plastic film to shrink and tighten removing wrinkles and creases. This type of secondary glazing - while low priced - has to be renewed if you need to access the window, and so is unsuitable for windows which you want to open before spring!

More expensive are secondary glazing panels. These are made from rigid clear plastic and can either be fixed to the wooden frame with magnetic tape, or plastic channel which can be left in place. In both these cases, the panels can usually be removed for ventilation and cleaning.

Don’t forget that when you’re draft proofing your home that it’s vital to ensure that you have adequate ventilation in rooms where there is a heater, fire, boiler or any other appliance that needs air for combustion and make sure you never block up air bricks or vents.

Now that you’ve reduced the amount of energy that it takes to keep your home warm, you can turn down the heating. Even a small 1 or 2 degree C reduction on your thermostat can reduce your heating bill significantly. If you can also set your heating to fire up a little later and switch off a little earlier, you’ll find that even a difference of a few minutes a day can add up to a big saving over a year.

There’s only space here to give you a couple of ideas but there is a wealth of further information available both on and off-line on how you can economise on energy use.
Once you start to think about saving energy, you’ll be surprised how it soon becomes second nature and before you know it, you’ll have a greener and more energy efficient home with big benefits for your wallet and the planet.

Russ Grimble helps to run http://www.national-double-glazing.co.uk an online resource with hints and tips on saving energy, insulating your home and useful information on choosing Double glazing or replacement windows.

[tags]double glazing, windows, insulation, energy saving, home improvement, save money[/tags]

Tuscan kitchen design immediately conjures images of Italy and sunlight and warmth. In fact these kinds of images are just what you need to think of when coming up with the perfect Tuscan kitchen design.

Tuscany a region in north central Italy is known as a warm place almost year round an Tuscan kitchen design should reflect this. Tuscan kitchen designs are defined by colors such as siena, terra, and sepia. Tuscan Kitchen design uses a lot of soft warm colors and textures. Windows in the kitchen should provide as much natural sunlight as possible.

The Tuscan style has evolved through the centuries, influenced by Etruscan metal craft and pottery as well as the Italian Renaissance. The Tuscan style can be seen in mosiac tiles, wrought iron gates, bridges and architecture.

Tuscan kitchen design and d

I know that as you are reading this article, that you like great art in your home, but you are tired of the art posters that have been printed millions of times and which are decorating the walls in the rooms of every other person you know. I sounds like a bit exaggerated, but it’s a sad truth. Now that you are in this situation, you can potentially stay away from buying poster prints of those well-known artists and rather go to art exhibitions and buy some fresh art paintings, from fresh artist. If you have the time to do so and your wallet allows for that, fine. But read on anyway, as I’m going to reveal a whole new source of virtually endless variety and artistic talent: Digital Art

OK, that sounds a bit contrary, doesn’t it? The guy is talking about decorating my rooms and then he refers to Digital Art. What is Digital Art anyway?

Simply put, Digital Art is like any other form of art you know, but it’s creation took place using a computer. The myth about Digital Art is, that it can only exist on a computer screen. The latter is not true. Let me step back for a minute. As you are reading this article on the internet, I think I can safely assume you have travelled many websites before. Chances are, that you have seen many digital images which you admire for their artistic sense, their colors, their theme. Chances are, too, that were unaware of the fact that many of those are available as digital poster prints - in full poster size if you wish, 30″ x 20″. Usually, they come on high quality, shiny and thick Kodak (or similar) photo paper, with bright and saturated colors, that will never fade.

Now, once you know what to look for, you will find that many online galleries for Digital Art have a poster service for most of their featured artists. The most prominent source for a great variety of Digital Art is probably deviantart.com, with their thousands of artists and hundreds of categories. It is hard to imagine that someone would not be able to find something great over there. Of course, you will be able to mail order your printed poster directly from there, with prices averaging between $5 and $50, depending on the size and material. Even prints on canvas are becoming more and more available, but these are usually more expensive.

If you want Digital Art even cheaper, with some Digital Art shops you can leverage the fact that your poster art is electronic, hence can be delivered to you electronically. This way, the merchant will not have to add his margin to the poster creation service, the packaging and post office delivery. You only pay for the digital item itself, and that can start as cheap as one or two Dollars.

It’s very simple to get your electronic poster on real, physical photo paper. No, you are not going to print it yourself with your inkjet printer. Simply put the file you have downloaded on a USB stick or burn it onto a CD, and bring it to your photo shop next door, for them to produce it on glossy photo paper, at the size and format you wish - which is not expensive at all.

The last step for you to do then is to pull out that old Kandinsky out of its frame, insert your new Digital Art poster instead, and start impressing your friends with that. To wrap it all up, you have learned about new sources of art, you know how to get that up your wall, your living rooms stands out from others, and you have not spent a fortune for it. Nice.

Frank Basinski is an artist in the space of Digital Arts, well-known for his impressive works in digital landscapes. He maintains a gallery and art shop at http://www.basinski-net.de.

[tags]Fresh Art, Digital Art, Living Room, Decoration, decorate living room, fine art, images[/tags]

People purchase houses for many different reasons. Some people buy houses to improve on the property, and get a good return on investment from it. Other people buy property to sell on. For whatever reason they buy a house or property, they would like to see their home improvement value.

Estimating your home improvement value is fairly easy. Raising that value is just as easy if you know what to do, and how to do it. The basic rule of thumb is that the more money you put into your house, the more you can expect to get out of it. It doesn’t matter how big the house is, where it is located, or what condition it is in, there are always ways to increase your home improvement value.

It doesn’t have to be grueling work to increase your home improvement value. All that is needed is a little bit of planning, time, and money. To figure out where your house can improve you can sit down with a pen and a piece of paper. On one side of the piece of paper you can write what your house has, and then on the other side you can write down what your house doesn’t have. For example, on the “house has” side of the paper, you can write: Two Bedrooms, One Bath, and Basement. You can fill in what your house doesn’t have, and what you would like your house to have in the “house doesn’t have” side. Realistically, you will not be able to complete all of the things on your list.

In today’s society people expect a certain level of living. Some people won’t even consider looking at a house if it didn’t meet their standards. Things you can add that will increase your home improvement value are things like en suite bathrooms and extra bathrooms, or half baths. Making an en suite bathroom can be as simple as adding a door between the bathroom and the room. Just adding a door can increase your property value by a lot.

Adding another bathroom can be just as easy, and you don’t have to take a mortgage to get it done. If you have a cupboard or pantry that is big enough to hold a toilet and sink, then you can continue from there. This is just another simple way to increase your property value.

Adding an extra bed room, or garage can also increase your home value unbelievably. But if this all seems a little out of price range, a new coat of paint, new flooring, or new cabinets can also increase your home improvement value. If you stick to white with your bathrooms and kitchen it will keep things feeling fresh and bigger. Also, white is a contemporary color and will appeal to most buyers.

If you remember the basic rule that investing a small amount into your home now could increase your home improvement value by a considerable amount in the future, you are sure to do just fine. Keep things contemporary and fresh. Remember your dream home and try to achieve it as much as you can, and watch your home improvement value climb!

Home Improvement and Repair Information, Advice and Articles at http://homeimprovement.atmyhouse.net/

[tags]home improvement, redecorating, adding on, building, remodeling, house, property value[/tags]

SECRET #1: Know thy plant.
This may seem like a no-brainer, but one that first-time growers overlook. There
are many types of carnivorous plants occurring on every continent in the world,
except Antarctica.

If you were to go on a world-wide expedition looking for as many types of
carnivorous plants you can possibly find, you will discover carnivorous plants
growing in Japan, China, Australia, India, South Africa, Spain, France, Ireland, Brazil,
Mexico, Canada and the United States.

If you were to explore the United States alone, you will find carnivorous plants in
nearly all of the 50 states, including Hawaii and Alaska.

So, the first secret in keeping your carnivorous plants alive, healthy and beautiful is
to know what type of carnivorous plant you have. With thousands of species of
carnivorous plants in the world, each type requires their own care.

Hopefully, your plant came with a tag that identifies its species. If not, visit a
reputable website to find photographs to help you identify the plant you have.

SECRET #2: Brighten their days with full sun.
Once you know what type of carnivorous plants you have, just duplicate their
natural surroundings. This means giving your plants the type of sun exposure and
water they might experience in the wild.

Lets start with sun. It often surprises many people to find out that the vast majority
of carnivorous plants enjoy full sun. You see, carnivorous plants grow in bogs,
which are open fields of wetlands.

Most people confuse bogs with marshes. Marshes typically are closer to the ocean
and contain slightly salted water. Marshes are also overgrown with trees, making
them shady.

Bogs, on the other hand, contain fresh water, usually bubbling up from an
underground spring, and can be found on mountaintops and other places far away
from the ocean. If you see a bog in nature, you will notice that there are no trees in
it. So, all plants growing in a bog are exposed to full sun.

This is true for Venus Flytraps, North American Pitcher Plants and nearly all
Sundews. As a result, these plants do best growing in 6-8 hours of direct sunlight
during their growing season. Four hours of direct sunlight are definitely the
absolute minimum. Anything less than that will cause your plants to struggle for
survival.

The only types of carnivorous plants that are not exposed to full sun in the wild are
Asian Pitcher Plants, Butterworts and some species of Sundews. These plants prefer
bright indirect light.

Now you know what types of carnivorous plants you have, give it the proper
sunlight. With US native plants, grow them outside during the growing season
(spring through fall). With Asian Pitcher Plants and Butterworts, grow them in a
window that receives bright indirect light.

If you do not have enough natural light, use 20 to 40-watt fluorescent light tubes or
fluorescent compact bulbs that are equivalent to 100 watts. Keep the light source
about 6 to 8 inches above the plant, and keep it on for 12-14 hours per day.

Avoid using incandescent bulbs because it produces too much heat and the wrong
type of light.

Secret #3: Soak their feet.
After giving your carnivorous plants the right amount of light (full sun, partial sun
or indirect light), now you need to make sure it gets the right amount of water.

Nearly all carnivorous plants grow in bogs, which are constantly wet. So, if you want
to duplicate what they experience out in nature, you need to provide constantly wet
soil.

Some people prefer to simply water their plants every day. Personally, I find this to
be a real drag, especially when I have so many other things to do, like watch a good
DVD or scratch my dog’s belly.

The easiest way to make sure the soil is constantly wet is to keep your plant in a bit
of standing water. Use a tray, bowl, saucer or any container that holds water. Fill the
container with water and place your plant right in. Allow the water to go half way up
the pot. Just make sure you do not drown the crown or base of the plant.
Remember, they are bog plants, not water plants (big difference!).

But, before your plants start soaking their little feet, make the water is relatively
pure. It does not need to be blessed by a Tibetan monk, but it should at least have
low levels of minerals (less than 100 parts per million). Check with your local
aquarium supply store for water hardness kits.

You can use distilled water or rainwater, but this is feasible only if you have only a
few carnivorous plants. If you are like me, you might have several thousand.

In that case, local tap water will do just fine. If the water has a lot of naturally
occurring minerals or additives to make the water soft, consider hooking your hose
up to a reverse-osmosis unit. Check your local hardware store for this type of filter.

Avoid using simple charcoal-filtration units. Although they are great in removing
chlorine and other not-so-tasty chemicals, they are inadequate in removing
minerals.

One more thing: some carnivorous plants prefer not to have their feet dunked in
water. This is true with Asian Pitcher Plants. They prefer to have moist soil rather
than wet soil. With these plants, water them once or twice weekly.

Secret #4: Season your plants.
One day while I was at the Farmers’ Market selling my carnivorous plants, a
customer stopped by and said that she had the good fortune to see a type of
carnivorous plant growing in the wild while visiting friends in Canada.

I immediately knew which plant she had seen, so I held up a Purple Pitcher Plant and
she exclaimed, “Yes, that is the plant I saw!”

I then told her how easy it was to grow that plant outdoors all year round, to which
she replied, “But during the winter, you have to bring them indoors, right?”

“Why would you need to do that?”

“Because it will get too cold for them,” she stated with authority.

At that point, I was very puzzled. So, I said to her, “If you saw them growing in the
wild in Canada, surely they can live outdoors in Oregon. It gets much colder in
Canada than it does in Oregon.”

It amazes me how often some people assume that just because a plant is
carnivorous it is: 1) tropical, 2) delicate, and 3) difficult to grow. This is precisely
why people kill their carnivorous plants. They treat them as a tropical, delicate
carnivorous plant that is difficult to grow without knowing if they actually have a
tropical, delicate carnivorous plant that is difficult to grow. This is definitely a recipe
for disaster.

All carnivorous plants native to the United States and Canada are considered
temperate plants, meaning they go dormant during the winter months, and come
right back to life in spring and summer. Other non-carnivorous plants that do this
are roses, daisies, daffodils and thousands upon thousands of other types of plants
grown all around the world.

This is why Secret #1 is a very important secret. You need to know what type of
plant you have to determine whether it requires winter dormancy or if it needs to be
indoors during those cold winter months.

Temperate plants need to rest up for spring. Without their winter rest, they get very
cranky and may fail to grow in spring. Think of how you feel when you do not get
enough sleep. So, if you want healthy vibrant plants in spring, give them a winter
rest. They might even reward you with flowers!

Secret #5: Hold the fertilizer, please.
If you want gorgeous looking carnivorous plants during the growing season, repot
your plants right before they come out of dormancy. In most cases, this would be in
March. Repotting your plants serves two purposes.

Firstly, carnivorous plants need room to grow. Depending on the species, some
rhizomes can get quite large. Other species have long deep taproots. So, it is
important that you give these guys enough root space.

Secondly, changing the soil yearly aerates the roots. With fresh oxygen, roots will
grow more robustly, producing healthier plants.

Springtime is also a time when you should cut off dead leaves or any leaves that
have turned brown. This will prevent fungal infections and increase sunlight to the
base of the plant.

When repotting your plants, a standard soil mix to use is 1 part peat moss and 1
part perlite. Peat moss adds acidity and retains moisture, while perlite provides
drainage.

This soil recipe is sufficient for 80% of all carnivorous plants. You can adjust the
recipe by adding more perlite or other inert matter to increase the drainage. Just
make sure the soil is void of nutrients and fertilizer.

Fertilizer is toxic to carnivorous plants and will burn their roots. (Very painful.)
Carnivorous plants will get all of their nutrients from insects caught in their leaves.

There you have it! You have just read the Top 5 Secrets to Growing Beautiful
Carnivorous Plants.

You learned:

Secret #1: Correctly identify the type of carnivorous plant you have.
Remember, not all carnivorous plants are created equal. Some grow in temperate
bogs, while others grow in hot humid jungles.

Secret #2: Brighten their days with full sun.

Secret #3: Soak their feet.

Secret #4: Season your plants.

Secret #5: Repot yearly and hold the fertilizer.

Each secret is an important part of the foundation on which you can grow beautiful
carnivorous plants all year round. When you follow these simple steps, your
carnivorous plants will have no choice but grow into healthy and beautiful plants
that you can be proud of!

AUTHOR: Jacob Farin is co-owner of Sarracenia Northwest, a nursery that
specializes in the cultivation of carnivorous plants. He is also co-author of Secrets
to Growing Beautiful Carnivorous Plants for Your Home and Garden. For more
information about the successful growing of carnivorous plants, visit
http://www.CobraPlant.com.

[tags]carnivorous plants, plants, plant, Venus Flytrap, garden plants, gardening, houseplants[/tags]