Archive for the ‘Home’ Category

When I was young, there was an old practice passed on to me. It said that whenever I want to feel or call on the wind, all I have to do is whistle and I will instantly feel a breeze. I don’t know why but it has worked every single time. Now, it has been said that wind chimes bring the same kind of thing, only it comes with luck too. As far back as the second century, wind chimes were being hung on Japanese pagodas with the intent of scaring away evil spirits and birds. They are considered to be good luck charms, and are used often in Feng Shui.

What is great about wind chimes is that it can be placed indoors or outdoors and not only prettifies a place (be it a garden or patio), it can be quite considerably cheap too. You should also take note that wind chimes, for it to be effectively used, needs to be placed in an area  where wind blows from moderate to slightly frequent. You can bamboo wind chimes placed on trees or along lamp posts in your lawn or garden area.

There are a lot of types of wind chimes. The bamboo ones are considered the cheapest while aluminum wind chimes can be customized to mimic the sounds of sweet Corinthian Bells, traditional Irish airs or the tinkling keys of a piano.

Metal wind chimes will be the most durable, and will produce the best tones. They’re weather resistant and won’t rust, and can even be tuned to produce specific melodies. Ceramic or glass chimes will be the most aesthetically pleasing, but better suited for indoor or decorative use. Bamboo chimes aren’t as durable, but will produce very soothing, deep, resonant tones reminiscent of rain or rolling thunder.

One of my dreams for our home is to have a home theater system. As I’ve mentioned before, our family are huge movie buffs and couch potatoes. We can watch TV all day – having a home theater will be a great experience for us!

I just do not which one would be better – a plasma LCD TV or a HD TV. I’ve read many home theater buying guides and found out the ff:

LCD HDTVs work by shining a light behind an LCD panel made up of a fixed number
of pixels. Each pixel is either red, blue or green and is switched on or off when a
voltage is applied to it. When voltage is applied to a pixel, it is switched off,
meaning that light can’t shine through it.

The main advantage of LCD vs plasma HDTV is that LCD panels don’t suffer from
what’s called burn-in. This is a feature of plasma TVs where they are used to watch
TV stations with logos permanently displayed on-screen or where they are used for
video gaming with games that have static images such as a cockpit on flight
simulators. The image literally ‘burns-in’ the screen meaning that even when the
image is not present you can still see a faint trace of it on screen. So for video
gamers in particular, LCD is a better choice than plasma.

Plasma HDTVs have over a million chambers which house one or a combination of
gasses. When a voltage is applied to one of these chambers the gas ionizes and
emits ultra-violet light. This light strikes red, green or plue phophors coated on the
inside of the chamber and a pixel emits this color light.

Plasma HDTVs tend to have better contrast than LCDs because, even when a pixel
on an LCD panel is switched off it doesn’t block all the light coming through and
therefore the pixel isn’t completely black. Plasma HDTVs also tend to have a wider
viewing angle than LCDs, as on LCD HDTVs the contrast and colour of the image can change when the screen is viewed from different angles.

It is safe to say that plasma TVs are the choice for screens 40 inches or less but as new technology comes in, this is bound to change!

Here is a little trivia for you: We currently have no address. We are sharing our current address (house number) with our landlady. And this is not a duplex or an apartment, it’s a house! I really do not know how come this house didn’t get to be assigned a decent house number but it is what it is. It’s a good thing our landlady is an elderly woman who rarely receives mail or packages. It would be quite a mix-up if all correspondence were delivered to her house. 

We are currently expecting a courier box bearing all the goodies I shopped for during Black Friday way back in November and I am anxious if the freight service will pick our house up. See, this should have not been a cause of anxiety if we had address plaques. I will be getting a lawn marker when we finally have our own house so anybody who will be looking for our house will not miss it.

This is what I am talking about:

 
I love how the lighted address plaques from Outdora too. Buyers have placed great feedback that the plaques are very visible during night time – since we live in the suburbs this will be a great idea so I won’t have delayed food (and pizza) deliveries. If a house is national or cultural treasure, one can get commemorative plaque for it like this one:

Remember that having an address plaque not only serves as a decoration for your lawn or door but as a helpful tool for people to find your house easily. Imagine if there would be an emergency and an ambulance needs to find your house in the shortest possible time – having a visible marker for your house will not only help, but could matter of fact save lives.  Do not worry about it ruining the style of your house or lawn. Address plaque makers these days have varied designs made of quality materials for every home imaginable. Just make sure that what you get will stand the test of time. Address plaques need to survive extreme weather conditions and would be subject to continuous wear and tear. Order from a reliable company like Outdora.com.

You thought it can only happen in movies. Apparently, it can also happen in real life. A friend of ours had her home almost burglarized. It was a good thing they invested in a Home Security System. The got theirs from ADT and with the Home Security System they got, it already has the following:

1. Digital Keypad – you have access to fire, medical and police dispatch with one touch of a button
2. Keychain Remote Access – one can disarm or arm the whole security system at any area of the house
3. PIR Infrared MOTION DETECTORS – these can differentiate pets and humans so false alarms are prevented.
4. UP TO 3 POINTS OF PROTECTION – wireless and window sensors can be moved around the house.
5. Decibel Alarm Siren – it is enough to wake the dead – believe me.
6. Battery Back up – In case the burglars are smart enough to disable your electricity first, have no fear. The ADT Home Security System is smarter than them. Its high-capacity battery backup system will keep your home and family protected!

My friend’s home was left untouched but they were, as expected, traumatized.

I have a long list of woes about the kitchen in our rented house. If I can just renovate it and have the amount deducted from our rent every month, I would have gladly renovated it for the longest time. But we might have to stay here for 10 years with the amount of renovation needed to be done.

For one thing, I would replace our current sink with an undermount kitchen sink. I really do not know why it hasn’t been installed with one in the first place. For one thing, cleaning it would be so easy, especially around the area. When you need to wipe off food debris, you just wipe it off and it gets thrown into the sink, and it still does not get caught on the rim on the sink.  Second (and more important for me) is that with these types of sinks, plumbing is hid behind the cabinetry. I like my kitchen and bathroom clean all the time. It also looks less messy if pipes are hidden, don’t you agree?

I would get stainless undermount kitchen sinks because it is easier to clean, and it is definitely for the long run – it does not stain, dent and scratch easily.

Back when we still had cable TV, the rare times I watch TV, you can bet that I’m glued either to MTV, HBO or HGTV (I know, so very different channels, right? It goes to show how many aspects my personality has).

I love HGTV because it lets me see homes I have always dreamed of having and how it is so near yet so far from my reach. As much as I hate to cook, I love to watch to cooking shows. Chefs make it look so easy – I bet they never have to wish the dishes afterwards or clean up after their mess )That’s why I hate to cook!). Even the cooking is done at the most lovely kitchens, ranging from sleek to modern to cozy to elegant and efficient.

I notice though that sinks these days are so different. While most kitchen sinks still have the same chrome faucets, sinks have virtually been transformed to something else. You have ceramic, over the counter sinks (which look pretty but are really scary if you think about it.)

Here is proof:

Kitchen Faucets remain to have double handles and chrome finishing. I would love to shop at the Faucet on Sale store. They seem to have the biggest discounts on the most quality faucets.

I’d want a traditional sink, thank you very much.

Much as I love wood, there is no arguing how durable stainless steel is – that is why the kitchen has the most gadgets with it, as it is the most wear and tear place in the house, alongside the bathroom of course.

One need to also consider getting blomus stainless steel mailboxes when your mailboxes need to be outdoors and under the sun and rain most of the time. At least you are guaranteed it would not rust over time.

This stainless steel mailbox is actually 15% off right at The Stainless Steel Store, from $388.68 it’s now only $330.38. It really a steal (pun intended!).

And lest you think stainless steel can only be used for functional purposes, think again. Picture frames, tea light holders, ornaments and salad bowls – these can also be stainless steel! Look at these cute stainless steel candle holders:

A day after Thanksgiving, most families are now putting up their Christmas trees up! It is officially the start of the holiday season for many families, as evidenced by the throng of people who lined up for Black Friday sales everywhere.

I didn’t shop that much at all yesterday. I just bought new bedroom linens and pillows for our beds and some kitchenware. I am hoping to hold out on after Christmas sales because I am eyeing to get great Christmas decoration deals – I have been longing to get a complete Christmas village set up in our house during the holidays.

Other than that, I would love to get more outdoor lighting fixtures from Lighting Sale. They currently offer 20% off  for Black Friday on phone orders over $200. They have no sales tax, offer free shipping and guarantees fixed prices and a safe and secure shopping portal – what more could you ask for?

We need ceiling lights for our garden posts and these would be perfect:

My cousin recently had their landscape renovated and they are looking great landscape lamps and lights. These are unique light lamp paths that would contribute to the over-all feel of their garden!

And as you know, I’m such a great fan of online shopping!

I never knew that bowls can be used for meditating! I chanced upon these Crystal Singing Bowls that are claimed to have been made straight from the mountains of Tibet.

These bowls are actually never mentioned in Tibetan history but it has been told that monks use this for their meditation. Tibetan Singing Bowls are used for relaxation, massage, yoga, stress reduction, healing, and reiki – I really don’t know how exactly they use the bowls but rumor has it the bowls are even used to transport monks into different realms and world.

These bowls are authentic as seen by the hammer marks you can see in the insides of the bowls. The heavier the bowl, the more expensive it will be

Take these pure Quartz Crystal bowls for example. These are 14 inches in diameter and retail for $199.75. Pretty steep for a bowl right? But these bowls are made from 99.992 percent pure crushed quartz and come with free oring and a leather striker.

You need to get other bowls to be able to really play but combine them and they will be playing notes that claim to release energy and chakras. I am getting curious about these bowls!

About two years ago, I was so excited to be moving out on our own! Finally, after almost two years of living in with my parents, we will now have a house of our own. It may not be a house we really own, as we will just be renting but at least it is a house I have full rein over – I can decorate it, start from scratch and really call it “ours”.

Fast forward to now, we moved out of that house two months after moving in. We moved to a smaller house, closer to my parents, 10 minutes away from the original house. So it really was two house moves in the span of three months.

G.R.E.A.T.

The second move was not as bad as the first, since we literally had to do everything on our own. We even took the kids with us everywhere, grabbing dinner by take-out and drive-thru most of the time. It really was a baptism of fire. The second move was smoother than the first because my parents helped and I got rid of so much junk before moving in the second. It also helped that we will be moving into a much smaller house that I needed to throw out stuff or else we would not have anywhere to sleep on. A Moving Company like Humboldt Movers could have saved us though from frustration.

I did a major boo boo earlier today. And I sense my husband is not going to make me forget.

I forgot our home keys when we went out for dinner. And he had no duplicates. And worse, my landlady was away on a holiday. I don’t think what can get any worse than that.

Luckily for us (and me, I should say), my landlady’s son went to her house to feed the dog and we were able to get the duplicate key. Or else, we will be freezing by our door and I’ll be dead meat once we get keys inside.

This has made me think about getting a keyless lock. You know the ones you see at the movies where people use their thumb’s fingerprint to open a door or scan their hand or eye to gain access to another room. Having a keyless lock would be so very cool and hi-tech, as my son would claim. The only thing that is making me reconsider getting a keyless lock for our house is its trial and error. It’s relatively new to the mass market and I don’t grasp the whole idea of fingerprint scanning. What if my fingerprint wasn’t clean on that day – will they eliminate dust particles? What if I have a very general fingerprint – will thieves and burglars be able to “fake” it?

I think I’ll stick to keys this time. And make sure to run triplicates and keep them in every purse I use.

My major form of exercise, aside from dancing to Lady Gaga’s album, is to surf, online, a LOT. Lately, my favorite sites are home improvement and interior decorating sites. If I would have my way, I’d have pink walls on one room and lime green on another. But first, I’d need to have more rooms to accommodate my color choices lately.

We can however, do something about shelves. We just need to complete our toolbox and hand tools so that renovation will be a breeze. We really do not have much experience on wood workshops but I hope a lot of cable TV viewing on the Home Network will help.

A sure way to find inner peace in marriage – give each space, even in the bathroom.

Agree?

Let me begin by writing a disclaimer: I don’t hate pets. But I don’t love them either. You can say I just don’t really want to take care of them.

Enter my dilemna.

I am outnumbered at the house 3:1. All of them want pets except me. I have no choice but to give in. Of course, I am sly enough to employ as many delaying tactics as I can. It will definitely be a small pet, even if we are going to be going with a dog. They are actually excited to have a dog but I am sure I would be in charge for dog housebreaking so I am dreading it. I have been trying to get them excited in the advantages of just taking care of a bid – with beautiful bird cages and less expensive bird food but they are falling on deaf ears. We all said no to cats because it meant litterboxes.

The little lady we have in the house is very very (you can multiply that by 100) excited with acquiring a guinea pig but I am sure it will die with us in 48 hours. According to Shopwiki’s Guinea Pig Pet Care Guide, guinea pigs are not used to being handled (in this case, man-handled), translated to, no cuddling. That would be impossible for my little girl.

So I guess it will be a dog?

What I would give to have these: books and sun. WOW.