The Value of Home Improvements
By Susan M. Keenan
 Before making any major home improvements there are three main things to consider. Do you want to increase the worth of your home, increase the ease with which to sell your home, or increase your personal satisfaction and comfort with your home?
A home's market value, what the home will sell for on the current market, fluctuates with each new improvement, the demographics of the... Read More |
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Design Tips for Your Hallway or Foyer
By Gail Kavanagh
 For most homes, the hallway or foyer is the first place that guests see when visiting the home. A dull or boring foyer in a beautiful house does not make for a good first impression. Here are a few tips to help you improve your main entry point from experts around the world.
Deep, bright colors make for an elegant entry to your home and set the tone for the rest of the house. Painting is fairly simple, and there are... Read More |
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Holiday Trip? Be Tire Smart
By ARA
 Bald tires are dangerous, according to the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA), which is offering tips so motorists can "Be Tire Smart."
Check your tire tread grooves to make sure they are free of foreign objects. Also check the sidewalls to make sure there are no gouges, cuts, bulges or other irregularities.
Place a penny into a tread groove on your tires with Abe Lincoln's head pointed down. If you can see all of his head, it is time for a new tire. Tire "wear bars" - narrow strips of rubber across the tread that appear at 2/32 inch of tread depth - also indicate the need for replacing tires.
Check tire pressure each month using a tire gauge and the vehicle manufacturer's recommended pressure. Proper tire pressure helps ensure a firm grip on the road.
Proper tire care helps maximize vehicle safety, fuel economy and tire longevity. For more information visit www.betiresmart.org. |
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Tips for Holiday Travel
By Elizabeth Walling
 Today, more people are finding themselves living far from family and friends and longing to be closer to loved ones during the holidays. Holiday travel has been a tradition for many years and it is often associated with hectic car rides and crowded airports. Here are some ways to make your holiday trip go smoothly.
The first rule of travel is to plan your trip well ahead of time. This is important whether you travel by plane or by car. If possible, book your flights far in advance, when you will have more options for flight times and seating, and ticket prices may be lower. If traveling by car, plan your route ahead of time so you know which roads to take and where the best places to stop may be. Hotel rooms should also be booked well in advance to ensure that you get the best room at the best price. When packing, have a list of everything you have to bring... Read More |
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Keep Your Houseplants Alive!
By Dorothy Edison
 Houseplants are often the bane of busy people. Unlike pets, they have no voice to plead for a drink of water or a bit of food. They cannot crawl out of their crowded pots or move to a sunny spot. Completely dependent upon our care, they seemingly thrive for a week or two then suddenly die.
So what can you do to keep your houseplants alive and growing? Follow these few simple tips that will make your plants happy enough to produce chlorophyll (that's the green stuff), stand up straight, and maybe even force out a couple of flower buds once in awhile.
Put your plants on a watering schedule - Write it on a calendar (a year in advance, if you have to). Make a certain day each week your day for checking the moisture level in your houseplants' soil and watering where necessary... Read More |
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