#Kitchen #Cabinet

Three years ago, I did my 3 levels of home expansion which was really a quick project. The interior was left undone.  Just few days ago, I was planning to continue the renovation on the other part of the house where the kitchen and the main door were located. Since I am not living there all the time, a cute kitchen design like this is perfect. Look at the cabinet and the stainless steel, glorious isn't it?

This week, I will contact my brother who is an Engineer and would love him to see the rev a shelf products here. Looking forward to see this beauty in my place.

Helping Your Child Make the Transition to College

For most incoming college students, it’s the first time they’ve lived away from home, and the change can be overwhelming. There are many new responsibilities that they now have to take care of—both with their academic and personal lives. You can visit University Villages West in Clemsonto see what their life will be like on campus and learn how you can help make the adjustment easier on your child.

Choosing a Career Path

One of the major responsibilities a student has to deal with during their time at college is choosing a major and a career path. Obviously, this can have a weighty impact on their entire future, and it shouldn’t be taken lightly. Encourage your student to sit down with you or with a school counselor to talk about their options and make a plan to fit in all the necessary classes and other requirements. It doesn’t hurt to remind them, at the same time, that many people change their major partway through college, and it isn’t the end of the world if they change their mind.

Taking on Financial Responsibilities

College is a good time to let your child learn how to handle their own money if they haven’t already started to do so. Even if you’re paying for their tuition, you might want to make them responsible for items like clothes and music. It’s a good idea for them to get a bank account and even a credit card. Using a credit card responsibly and paying it off on time every month will help them to start establishing a good credit history, which will be invaluable in the future.

Adjusting to Independent Living

A third major adjustment for your child will be living away from home for the first time. They will be responsible for doing their own laundry, tidying their room or apartment, and possibly even making meals. If you help teach your child these skills while they’re young, it will make the move a lot easier on them, and you’ll never have to worry that they can’t take care of themselves. You can also visit University Villages West in Clemson before the semester starts so you know what furniture or other belongings your child will need as he or she starts their new life away from home.

Our House Was Sold

Here are some photos of the house we have listed in the Real Estate market about two weeks ago. For the first four days, we have two offers. Since the offers were good, we accepted the highest and in one week, we sold the house. We have a schedule to close the house on the 2nd week of March. The lucky owner of this house will be happy to know that NASA's Kennedy Space Center is just 13 minutes away. We forgot to include that info in the listing. Anyway, it's sold and we will be going back to the gulf coast area.

We are praying that everything will be alright and we can move as soon as possible. Oh, and we have to buy a new house too. This will be hard for us. Packing-up and waiting for the closing are stressful but then, that's all we can do right now. After the closing, we can then find a new house. Stressful don't you think?

Roofing Tips: How to Maintain Your Roof

Keeping your roof properly maintained can prevent a number of problems with leaks to missing shingles. How can you adequately care for your roof to help it last longer and to reduce the issues with leaks? At www.PyramidRoofingNE.com, you can find a number of great tips to help you maintain a roof. Here are a few tips to help you get started.

Tip #1: Maintain the Shingles

One of the major issues a roof will face is dealing with leaks when there are missing shingles. The missing shingle problems normally occur after a windstorm, or in the spring after they endure a heavy winter. You need to take the time to climb on the roof at least once or twice a year to look for signs of missing shingles. Correctly replacing the missing shingles will provide additional protection to the roof. To replace the missing shingles, purchase some new shingles and nails. You will need to completely remove the old shingle, and secure the new one in its place. You can use some tar to secure it with the nails, or there are some roofing cement options to choose from. Maintain your shingles properly to provide adequate protection for your home.

Tip # 2: Clean the Roof

A lot of people do not take the time to correctly clean their roof. If you allow dirt, leaves, twigs, and other debris to accumulate on the roof, it can reduce the lifespan of your roof. It usually forces a roof to age quickly, and it will end up leaving you with problems. You need to make sure you are removing all the excess debris from the roof to keep it clean and protected. Clean out the gutters and downspouts to prevent them from becoming clogged. If they become filled with a lot of debris, they are unable to do their job to remove the water from the roof.

Tip # 3: Fix Leaks

Look for signs of leaks near the chimney and around any areas where there are holes in the roof. You need to inspect the attic to search for signs of water damage. If you notice light streaming into the attic, it indicates that you have a slight leak somewhere. Use roofing cement to close the leak, preventing water from getting into the home. You can learn additional roofing maintenance tips at www.PyramidRoofingNE.com.

How to Find Experienced Plumbers

Finding the right plumber to work on your home or business building can be a difficult challenge. It is important to find a person you know you can trust. Sadly, there are some plumbing companies that try to cheat people out of their money. How can you find Salt Lake City plumbers you can trust to work on your home or office? Here are some tips to follow that will prevent you from hiring the wrong people.

Legal Requirements

 

Always research the legal requirements needed to practice plumbing in your area. If you are building a home, there are city requirements for plumbing needs along with state requirements. Ask the plumber for a copy of their plumbing license to verify their information. Ask the plumber if they have liability insurance. The liability insurance is needed to protect homeowners from serious repairs and expenses related to plumbing needs if there is a problem after they leave your home.

Reputation

 

Research the reputation of the plumber before you hire them. You need to make sure you are hiring a person that other people trust. Ask your neighbors for a reference as this will help you to find a plumber you can trust. You need to research their reputation online. What do the reviews say about the plumber? Were they late to their appointments, do they charge reasonable fees, can they provide emergency services? The more you learn about the plumber, the easier it will be to narrow down your list to hire the right one. As you research the company, find out how long they have been in business. You want to find a company that is established in the area, and has been around for several years.

Compare Quotes

 

Based on the plumbing needs you have, you need to call several plumbers and compare quotes. Some companies will offer a bid over the phone, but this is something you need to be skeptical about since they cannot give you a true offer until they see what must be done. Ask about emergency plumbing services to find out how much they will charge, and how quickly they can come out to your home. The best Salt Lake City plumbers will price match quotes, without jeopardizing the quality of their work.

Outdoor Patio Heaters

How's the weather in your place this week? I was watching the news and some states were being hammered with severe snow storm. I hope you are all safe from the brutal blizzard. As long as you stay indoors, nothing could go wrong. Today, I saw some photos of my friends who were having a good time and enjoying their morning after the storm. Most of them had a glorious day taking pictures in their white backyard. In fact, one of them was having a cup of coffee on the patio. I thought she must be freezing but, she was so comfortable. Seen at the background of her photo were the outdoor patio heaters. What a blessing to have those items at home. She was so comfortable and the heaters keep the area warm and cozy.

Are you looking for heaters? EquipSupply provides not only outdoor patio heaters but, they also have propane heaters as well as portable generators. If you live up north, you need heaters to keep you comfy and warm in winter time. Storms can knock down electric posts and when you are not prepared for any untoward incident, you put your life and your family in great danger. Get a generator for your household. Bundle up is not enough. You need heaters to keep you warm.

I bet you have a huge property so; splurge your backyard and create an ambiance for an amazing outdoor place. If you plan for an outdoor event on winter time, make sure you have outdoor patio heaters. Keep your guests warm for them to enjoy the party.

Purchase the product according to the size of your space. One time, I attended a party which was held in a beautiful garden. It was cold that night and their patio heater did not work right. No one stays in the garden for long because it was freezing. The hosts decided to move the food table in the kitchen and we all crowd the living room which was really awkward. Avoid this incident to happen to you. Heater is must product in the household so; you need to have one

Quality and Elegant Mailbox

Since my husband was retired for almost 4 years now and I worked from home, we practically own our time. We have no strict routine such as waking up early or should be home at certain time in the evening. We go with the flow of time. Traveling either short distance or 10 hours away from home is just normal for us especially when we are bored. When we travel, I took pictures of anything interesting and that includes beautiful houses along the way, outrageous building design and amazing mailboxes.

Have you traveled to Saint Augustine FL? If you enjoy driving the scenic route, you will be seeing beautiful and different kinds of mailboxes along the residential area along the beach. They are in different sizes and mostly with animal theme. I have seen a dolphin and great white mailboxes. They are huge so; you can see them on the road. You will really have a second look of their custom made mailboxes which some designs are animals and creatures in the ocean.

Some houses have the formal and elegant mailbox designs which they got from a decorative home mailboxes store. If you are looking for a good looking residential mailbox, just visit the link and I am sure that you will find an elegant mailbox that suits your personality and style.

Blomus Fireplace

Are you using stainless steel? Stainless steel is preferred by many because it does not easily stain, corrode or rust compared to ordinary steel. Even in my own house, I prefer using stainless steel especially on my kitchen because I find it clean and hygienic. If you can observe most hospitals, fast food chains and other food processing plants use stainless steel because it has an easy cleaning ability. Moreover, it gives a modern an attractive look on every houses, shops and other establishment.

There’s a huge variety of stainless steel equipment in the market today. You can actually find a number of it from blomus stainless- the stainless store. The blomus stainless steel store provides you with stainless steel design that will give your house a modern look. If you’re planning to make a nice fireplace this winter season, try having a stainless steel blomus fireplace. Stainless steel are good for fireplaces because of its ability to resist scaling and retain strength at high temperatures.

Using stainless steels for your home can be a bit costly. But if you try to see the big picture, you can actually save a lot of money because it gives a long term value compared to other materials.

Living on a Farm

Our friend lives on a farm in Alabama and he got a huge shed where he stored his farm equipments. I lost count as to how many equipments he got but, he has all that he needs to use for the farm.Their house is located in a farm land and a bit distant from the road. We sleep good for the night. They have no wifi in the house but, they use DSL. I was checking on their goat farm which is located at the huge area at the back of their house. I was really careful because there are rattle snakes in the area. I was on my way at the back of the house when Lo and Behold, I saw a snake. I was really scared and I ran away from it. When I look back, the snake never moves. So, I took a picture and zoom it and showed it to our friend. He said it was not a poisonous snake. It eats rats in the farm.

Our friend has three big sheds and it looks like a "man cave" which is full of gadgets for the farm. If there is a wifi and cable in the area. I think I can live here. But, I do not know if I can manage a farm land. That is too much of a work to maintain!

Simply Beautiful

This is simply beautiful right? I took these pictures at the roof top of my place back home. I love to wake up early and have a hot tea, stay at the roof top while enjoying the sunrise view.
I can't wait to get back home again.
The roof of my neighbors are visible too, LOL. The sky looks great though. I miss my home now.

Mosaic Tile

When I went back to PI for 3 months, my purpose of staying a longer vacation was to extend the living room, make a second floor and a roof top. My husband would call it the observation deck which oftentimes, I would tease him for using such terminology. I was supposed to include the cosmetic renovation of the kitchen too by adding the mosaic tile to give that elegant look. Here in the US, a kitchen with a back splash such as glass mosaic tiles and mosaic wall tile adds impact to the home buyers.I love watching HGTV and when they are doing a kitchen renovation, they do not take for granted the back splash. It adds the value of the house if the kitchen is nice with a beautiful and high end back splash. It does make a tremendous difference especially when it tied down everything in the kitchen. That is why I would like to have one for my kitchen too. There so many colors to choose from and the price differ according to the kind of materials you want. If you are planning to have a kitchen or bathroom renovation, consider having a mosaic tile. They are truly beautiful for your home.

House Rentals in Calgary

Are you searching for House rentals in Calgary? The chosen location that you have is the most dynamic and attractive city in Alberta so; you are in the right track of finding your new place. Calgary is the largest city in Alberta, Canada which is larger than Edmonton. Before moving to the city, you should determine how much you can afford to pay. An average two bedroom place could range from 1200 to 1700 a month and it depends on where you want to live either the downtown area or the inner-city. Renting a two or three bedrooms in the suburbs would be a little bit more economical. The disadvantage of renting to this place would be the long commute to the city.Calgary is a nice place to live because you can enjoy long days in the summer but has long cold nights in the winter too. Calgary is very similar to a Western city in the United States where you will see many residents wearing cowboy hats and boots. They enjoy rodeos and Western type festivals so; if you love that activity, this place is for you. Calgary is a very clean city and in fact, in 2007 it was voted as the cleanest city in the world by Forbes magazine. You will have all the luxury to breathe that cool mountain air since Rocky Mountains just nearby.

When searching to rent your new home, the Northwest and Southwest suburban are preferred by most residents because you will have some great views of the Rocky Mountains. So; when making your move to Calgary be sure to contact a reputable realtor so they can assist you. For more information, just visit the Website now!

Home and Garden Show

Last Saturday, we went to the Convention Center in Orlando to see the display in the Home and Garden Show. We went to the North Concourse area, pay $8 for the parking and we were glad for that amount knowing that they charged $14 for the regular parking.

Even though this area is so huge, we noticed that the parking space is full! We have to circle around to find a spot. When we went in, it was already almost 2PM so, paying $10/person is ridiculous! Lo and behold, we got in for FREE! There was this lady who hand over three tickets to us so, it was really a lucky day!

I was overwhelmed to see the huge area with so many tents displaying beautiful products from mops to sailboats, from tiles to kitchen, from flower pots to garden and so on.
This display caught my eyes! This vehicle is used in the farmland or huge backyard for lawn purposes. What a good innovation right? It looks like a nice car to ride in a small town!
This is a garden display with boulders, waterfalls and nice landscaping. There were so many to see and so many to buy if you are looking for anything that matters to home and garden.
We actually ended in subscribing 3 months of local daily newspaper and nothing else. We came to see the display of home and garden products. It was fun and the three of us enjoyed that weekend.

Maui Homes

Are you looking for an island retreat? If you love to watch the sunrise and the sunset by the beach, check out Maui Homes. Maui is considered as the leading whale-watching in the island of Hawaii; home to huge rain forest, and beautiful coral reefs. It is a wise decision to own a property in this place either for family use or for rental purposes.My brother-in-law and his family lived in Hawaii for so many years. Later, he and his family eventually moved to an ancestral house in Missouri because it was listed according to their budget. He sold his home in Hawaii but retain his condo as a real property income. Even though they lived in another state now, they love the Island of Hawaii because of the beautiful beaches and the wonderful people that they made friends with. His condo property yielded favorable income on his part due to the fact that Hawaii is one of the biggest tourist destinations in the world.

I travelled the Philippines to US for the last three years now and have been to Hawaii for few hours of stop-over. I was just lucky to see the aerial view of the beauty of this island. My husband and I extend the possibility of buying a condo by the beach in the island of Maui.

Home Office Desks

Hey y'all! I am just excited to share what I found today! I saw this executive desk which is really gorgeous for home office desks. I am a big fan of rich cherry finish material and this furniture would look amazing in our office/den. I have been looking for a desk which has more drawers to store my files and office materials. The top is made up of durable melamine surface which can resist scratches, abrasions and stains. I love the file drawers because it's a space saver and it comes with a ball bearing slides so, it glides easily. I was attracted to the handles too because it matches with our traditional chest and cabinet in the master's bedroom. What do you think? If you are looking for an office desk with great design, visit the Website today. Just click the link provided here and enjoy your online shopping.

Foreclosure Condos

Two weeks ago, hubby and I met our realtor and checked out some foreclosure properties in a 5-mile radius of our place. Luckily for us, we found a nice and right on our budget condo which was a potential "property income". It was a 1B/1B with a nice size patio for only $14K. Unbelievable price right? It can be rented for $600 and in 3 years, a return of investment is likely to happen. The condo is not a move-in ready because the Residential flooring is torn and needs new carpet/tile. We were so excited but, our realtor called us an hour ago that the property was already sold to someone. Home buying needs patience and perseverance, a reality that home buyers should possess or they will get discourage at the end. Now, when we bid on a property, we play it by ears. If we get it, lucky us and if we don't, we are enthusiastic to find another property. Presently, we bid on three properties and hoping to hear a positive response from one of the listing agent.

My Home Project

I made 3 months vacation in the Philippines and did my home project for 45 days. It is very costly but, I am contented even though I had limited time. I made a 24 sq ft extension from the old building of my place, and here is the ground floor which extended the dining/living room area. I have a vaulted ceiling which I preferred to have in my home, here it is.

The second floor with the outside stairs. My 24 ft extension is a preparation for another extension (scratching my head-confused LOL) on the front space . I have a spiral stairs for the roof top and the view at the top is spectacular!

Here is the closer look of my extension project. The first floor, the second and the roof top=== all concrete and done in 45 days. I was so relieved!
I used polycarbonate to shed my terrace on the second floor and temporarily, I used stones to accent the beams of the building.
So far, I am contented with my project. Hopefully I can finish my home project next year when I come visit.

Beautiful Tiles

Supposedly, my home project would only last for 20 days. But as of this week, it will be 45 days total in building a two storey bedroom size extension of the house plus the roof top. I am not disappointed in fact, I am so glad that I made this decision. I hired plumber, Floor contractor, carpenters, painters, steel workers and helpers to push the project to the limit. Here's the picture of my tile flooring and I love my preference with no regret.

I bought three kinds of tiles one for each floors. but, my rooftop tiles was lacking so I ordered few pieces which unfortunately halted the work for few days now. Anyway, the workers did have an alternate work to accomplish their job. Days are not wasted actually because there's so much to do for the time being. For this week, there will be finishing touches done and I hope, everything will be accomplished according to the time frame, I hope! My lessons for this project: Double the financial budget, expect for untoward expenses, more patience and feed the workers aside form their salary. Sometimes, after dinner I gave them wine to show them my appreciation for their work that day!

Sleeping Bags

On the first night when we moved to our new home, I pull out our sleeping bags from the box and I used one set for me. The house was ready to move in but, the thought of having so many home buyers who walked inside the bedroom seemed untidy to me. I decided to cover the whole carpet in the bedroom with a blanket afraid that something will crawl in the middle of the night. The first night, our appliances and furniture's did not arrive so; sleeping bag is a great alternative. It was very comfortable and I sleep so soundly. My thoughts of crawling creatures don't exist at all. My whole body was all tucked in and I felt secure. This thing is not only good for camping but, a good alternative in uneasy situation. Of course the next day, I realized that my imagination was just wild. The whole carpet was very clean and tidy. Nevertheless, I did my general cleaning in preparation of our moved-in day. Our furniture's and appliances arrived early that day and we fixed our bedroom first. Keep a sleeping bag set in your closet because it is very useful especially when you encounter a situation similar like mine.

My Project at Home

When you have limited resources, you could only plan a project according to your capabilities. When I arrived here in the Philippines a month ago, I decided to extend my place. I hired 15 workers and make one bedroom and a dining area. Here are the progress for the last 8 days now.
The picture above is the progress in 5 days. They are done with the second floor flooring.
The picture above is when they did the posts.
Here is when they did the mapping.
This is when they dug the hole for the posts about 4 feet deep.
The second floor concrete flooring was poured in. The picture below is when I took the picture at the second floor showing the street below.
Showing the materials ... the wood framing would costs a lot. So, if you have these wood materials, after the concrete project will be completed....will be useless. On my part, I will either donate it to my relatives or, make a wood house in my aunt's place. These wood framing materials costs almost $1,500.
Some workers were having a fun time up there. PSSTTTT...be careful!
Anyway, it is now in their 8th day, they are framing the rooftop.

They will stop for 8 days after working for 12 days just to season the concrete flooring. They will resume after those days and probably, my project will resume for another 15 days and will be done by then,HOPEFULLY!