Get That Envy-Inspiring Home You Dream Of | floorkitchenbath.com

TIP! Walking around and observing your home will help you spot possible home improvement options. Air leaks in your vent system are a problem you might find.

Whether your home improvement budget is minuscule or massive, it can be thrilling to make some improvements to your property. These carefully selected home improvement tips and tricks are just the thing to get you inspired and ready for your next project.

TIP! If you?re thinking about improving the house, first clean every part of your home. Cleaning everything will let you find trouble spots that need to be taken care of sooner than later.

When doing home improvement work, one of the most important tools to have is a drill. You can make holes and drive screws of any size. Choose at least a nine-volt drill with a variety of attachments.

TIP! If you?re not able to take proper care of the lawn, or you don?t wish to pay others to maintain it for you, think about installing a yard that?s low maintenance. Avoid grass and instead install gravel and plants which need little care.

Before summer arrives, you should check out your deck?s condition. Look for wood that has rotted, as well as holes, and fix whatever needs fixing. This will help you get prepared for summer.

TIP! Do some research on your own if you cannot hire a designer. Look for information and inspiration online and in books and magazines.

A great deal of home improvement projects are something that you can do yourself. Hiring someone will run up your bill extensively. You can perform interior painting, simple plumbing repairs, and certain drywall jobs on your own. When you do the repairs on your own, you save so much money.

TIP! Do not try to cram too much furniture into one room. A lot of furniture makes the room look smaller.

Solar lights won?t do anything to improve the value of your home. To adequately light a path, you will want lights powerful by electricity. Although they may cost more upfront, they provide more reliability and longer life than a solar model.

TIP! Build an original additional to your home for some class or sophistication. Try putting in a wine cellar or a library with some book shelves.

Homes that are updated usually sell faster and sell for more as well when compared to homes that haven?t been renovated. Updating kitchens that seem dated or dark can be one of the best things you do when updating your home to improve it. The money you spend on a new kitchen will certainly come back to you when it?s time to sell your home.

TIP! If you have a deck, check its water resistance by pouring some water on it after a few dry and sunny days. If the water is soaked up, you should probably reapply water repellent.

Before the cool air of winter arrives, examine your home?s foundation for cracks or crevices that need filling. Close up any potential areas where unwanted pests like spiders, rodents and insects could gain entry.

TIP! When you are going to remodel your bathroom, go small at first. Little budgets may still create a big impact that can look pricier than it is.

If you are going to buy some furniture make sure they are simply colored. If you buy busy-looking pieces, you?ll end up decorating your rooms around them. If you stick to solid, neutral colors in upholstery, (e.g. beige, brown, green, or black) you?ll have plenty of flexibility when you start to accessorize. Your throw pillows and blankets can have all the crazy colors and patterns you want since you can change them as soon as your tire of them.

TIP! Whenever you hire a handyman, make sure you are on the same page by creating and agreeing to a contract. A written contract keeps both sides honest and protects you, the homeowner, from exploitation.

Before beginning any work on home improvements involving gas, turn the source of the gas off first. Anything you do can potentially create a spark. Whether you disconnect the line or not, gas may escape when appliances are moved around.

TIP! Decorate both the exterior and interior of your home. You?ll want your decorating themes to work well, both in and out of the house.

Connecting PVC pipes requires specific PVC adhesive and PVC primer. If you only use one or the other, your pipe will leak. Make sure the pipes are dry before you begin.

TIP! Instead of using granite slab, use granite tile. A granite counter top can be very expensive.

When renovating an older house, it may be wise to insulate its pipes again. Sometimes the pipe insulation in an old house wears out and falls off the pipes. If you hope to preclude frozen pipe issues in the future, make sure that your pipes are properly insulated now.

TIP! Choose one piece of decor in your room and build your color palette off it. From a throw pillow to the carpet, you?ll have many options to choose from.

Flexibility is key to home renovations. You may want a new renovation done in a certain time frame, but sometimes it may take longer. In addition, you might be set on spending a set amount of money; unfortunately, you may discover that more money will be necessary in order to complete the renovation. Sometimes, this sort of thing is inevitable. Make sure you have some wiggle room before you get started.

TIP! Use plastic bags to keep your tools fresh when you are away from your painting area. Before you go on break, put all of your brushes and roller heads in the bags and seal them.

If you?ve got the resources, start your next project immediately. No matter how big your project is, the information you?ve just read will help you make it a successful one.

Source: http://www.floorkitchenbath.com/get-that-envy-inspiring-home-you-dream-of-2/

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Co-op confirms new wine head - The Drinks Business

22nd March, 2013 by Gabriel Savage

The announcement follows the departure of the UK retailer?s former wine development manager, Paul Bastard, who took voluntary redundancy in August 2012 after 19 years with the company.

Prior to taking this role as head of the Co-op?s wine team, Cairns has built up a total of nine years experience in the wine industry. At Morrisons he held responsibility for the Australia, New Zealand and Italy categories, which previous buying roles included Young?s Wholesale and Spar?s northern distributors James Halls & Sons.

Outlining his plans for the new role, Cairns said: ?I have always been focused on making wine more approachable for customers, and one of my aims is to improve our interaction with our shoppers by presenting them with easy-to-shop fixtures and clear communications.

He also confirmed that the multiple retailer?s Fairtrade emphasis, which sees it account for 60% of the UK?s total wine sales in this sector, ?will stay firmly on the agenda.? In addition, Cairns revealed: ?I also plan to focus even more on Champagne and sparkling wines, to further enhance our market-leading performances in these categories.?

Ian Martin, head of commercial for beers, wines & spirits at The Co-operative, welcomed Cairns to the business, remarking: ?With a wealth of experience, qualifications and a real passion for wine, Simon?s appointment will further enhance this dedicated category and strengthen The Co-operative?s excellent wine range.?

The appointment comes at a time when several other UK multiple retailers have made significant changes to their wine teams.

Earlier this month Morrisons announced Mark Jarman as its new head of wine operations, while the end of 2012 saw Tesco promote Dan Jago to the post of UK & group wine director as part of a major restructuring of its UK commercial food division.

This article was published on Friday, March 22nd, 2013 at 3:55 pm. You can follow any responses to this article through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response.

Source: http://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2013/03/co-op-confirms-new-wine-head/

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Obama arrives in Jordan, last stop in Mideast

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) ? President Barack Obama arrived in Jordan on Friday for the final stop on his four-day visit to the Middle East and a day of meetings with King Abdullah II that are expected to focus on the influx of refugees from the civil war in neighboring Syria.

More than 400,000 Syrians have crossed the border into Jordan to escape the violence, crowding refugee camps and overwhelming aid agencies run by this important U.S. ally in the Middle East. Abdullah has voiced fears that extremists and terrorists could create a regional base in his country.

Obama will also seek to bolster Jordan's efforts to reform its government as it seeks to stave off an Arab Spring-style revolution.

Before arriving in the Jordanian capital of Amman, Obama closed a three-day visit to Israel, another important U.S. ally in the region, by paying respects to the nation's heroes and to victims of the Holocaust. He also solemnly reaffirmed the Jewish state's right to exist.

Accompanied by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres, Obama laid wreaths at the graves of Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism who died in 1904 before realizing his dream of a Jewish homeland, and former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated in 1995.

He also toured the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, declaring after that the memorial illustrates the depravity to which man can sink but also serves as a reminder of the "righteous among the nations who refused to be bystanders."

Friday's stop at Herzl's grave, together with Thursday's visit to see the Dead Sea Scrolls, the ancient Hebrew texts, were symbolic stops for Obama that acknowledged that the rationale for Israel's existence rests with its historical ties to the region and with a vision that predated the Holocaust. Obama was criticized in Israel for his 2009 Cairo speech in which he gave only the example of the Holocaust as reason for justifying Israel's existence.

"Here on your ancient land, let it be said for all the world to hear," Obama said at Yad Vashem Friday, in a clear response to that criticism. "The state of Israel does not exist because of the Holocaust, but with the survival of a strong Jewish state of Israel, such a holocaust will never happen again."

Before leaving for Jordan, Obama and Netanyahu met for two hours over lunch. An Israeli official said they discussed Israel's security challenges and that, in addressing the peace process with Palestinians, Netanyahu stressed the importance of security. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity under diplomatic protocol.

The two leaders met again in a trailer next to a tent on the tarmac at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv before Obama left the country.

In between the two meetings, Obama squeezed in a stop in Bethlehem in the West Bank to visit the Church of the Nativity.

Obama had been scheduled to take a helicopter to Bethlehem but had to change plans due to unusually high winds. The route gave Obama a clear look at Israel's separation barrier with the West Bank, which runs south of Jerusalem and is the subject of weekly protests by Palestinians.

About 300 Palestinians and international pilgrims gathered near the Nativity Church, awaiting Obama's arrival. But a knot of protesters along the route held up signs stating: "Gringo, return to your colony" and "US supports Israeli injustice."

At a nearby mosque, Mohammed Ayesh, a Muslim religious official in Bethlehem, issued a plea to Obama in a speech to worshippers: "America, where are your values? Where are the human rights? Isn't it time that you interfere to make it stop?"

Amid high security, Obama toured the church with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. They stopped at the Grotto of the Nativity, which is said to stand where Jesus Christ was born. About 20 children waving U.S. and Palestinian flags greeted Obama in a courtyard outside the sanctuary. He posed for photographs with Abbas and Bethlehem's mayor, Vera Baboun.

Earlier in Jerusalem, Obama and his Israeli hosts arrived at the somber Herzl grave site under cloudless skies. Obama approached Herzl's resting place alone and bowed his head in silence. He turned briefly to ask Netanyahu where to place a small stone in the Jewish custom, then laid the stone atop the grave.

"It is humbling and inspiring to visit and remember the visionary who began the remarkable establishment of the State of Israel," Obama wrote in the Mt. Herzl guestbook. "May our two countries possess the same vision and will to secure peace and prosperity for future generations."

At Rabin's grave a short walk away, Obama was greeted by members of Rabin's family. He initially placed a stone on Rabin's wife's side of the grave, then returned to place one atop Rabin's side. In a gesture linking the U.S. and Israel, the stone placed on Rabin's grave was from the grounds of the Martin Luther King memorial in Washington, the White House said.

Rabin, Obama told family members, was "a great man."

Chatting with the family, Obama joked that "Bibi arranged for perfect weather," using Netanyahu's familiar name. He then added that "Shimon plied me with wine" at the official state dinner Thursday evening. At one point the talk turned to the singer who performed at the dinner, and Obama pointed out that he was known to sing, too. "They had me on YouTube," he said with a laugh. "Check it out -- Obama singing Al Green."

At Yad Vashem, Obama donned a skull cap and was accompanied by Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, a survivor of the Buchenwald Concentration camp who lost both parents in the Holocaust. Among his stops was Yad Vashem's Hall of Names, a circular chamber that contains original testimony documenting every Holocaust victim ever identified.

"Nothing could be more powerful," Obama said.

___

Associated Press writers Dalia Nammari in Bethlehem and Daniel Estrin contributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-arrives-jordan-last-stop-mideast-145120371--politics.html

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She?s Not Talking About It, But Siri Is Plotting World Domination

Apple wants to give Siri a distinct personality and AI to make interacting with her more natural, and it is capitalizing on our tendency to anthropomorphize things to remake its digital assistant. If it succeeds, Apple will revolutionize how we ...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/V33ESncsNj8/

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Bukit Batok East: Family Scrapbook Workshop

Family Scrapbook Workshop -13 April 2013 Saturday

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Please click the poster to enlarge.

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By BBE NMC & Eric?

Source: http://bukitbatokeast.blogspot.com/2013/03/family-scrapbook-workshop.html

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'Peace is possible,' Obama insists in Middle East

JERUSALEM (AP) ? Insisting "peace is possible," President Barack Obama on Thursday prodded both Israelis and Palestinians to return to long-stalled negotiations with few, if any, pre-conditions, softening his earlier demands that Israel stop building settlements in disputed territory.

The president made his appeal just hours after rockets fired from Hamas-controlled Gaza landed in a southern Israeli border town, a fresh reminder of the severe security risks and tensions that have stymied peace efforts for decades.

Obama, on his second day in the Middle East, shuttled between Jerusalem and Ramallah, reaching out to the public as well as political leaders. He offered no new policies or plans for reopening peace talks but urged both sides to "think anew" about the intractable conflict and break out of the "formulas and habits that have blocked progress for so long."

"Peace is possible," Obama declared during an impassioned speech to young people in Jerusalem. "I'm not saying it's guaranteed. I can't even say that it is more likely than not. But it is possible."

The deep disputes dividing the Israelis and Palestinians have remained much the same over the years, and include deciding the status of Jerusalem, defining borders and resolving refugee issues. Palestinians have been particularly incensed over Israeli settlements in disputed territories, and the Israelis' continued construction has also drawn the condemnation of the United States and other nations.

Further settlement activity is "counterproductive to the cause of peace," Obama said. But in a notable shift, he did not repeat his administration's previous demands that Israel halt construction. Instead he urged the Palestinians to stop using the disagreement as an "excuse" to avoid talks.

"If the expectation is that we can only have direct negotiations when everything is settled ahead of time, then there is no point for negotiations," Obama said during a joint news conference with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. "I think it is important to work through this process even if there are irritants on both sides."

Abbas said Palestinians remain committed to seeking peace with Israelis, but he made clear that settlement construction had made his people distrustful of Israel's intentions.

"This is very dangerous that people and the new generation reaches the conviction that it's no more possible to believe in the two-state solution," he said.

Obama has sided with the Palestinians on the settlement issue during his first four years in office. However, when Israel reluctantly declared a 10-month moratorium on construction, the Palestinians balked at returning to negotiations until shortly before the suspension expired and talks foundered shortly thereafter.

The Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem ? territories Israel captured in the 1967 war ? but indicate they are ready for minor adjustments to accommodate some settlements closest to Israel. Since 1967, Israel has built dozens of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem that are now home to 560,000 Israelis ? an increase of 60,000 since Obama became president four years ago.

Upon his return to Israel, the president told Israelis that in the search for peace they have "true partners" in Abbas and Salam Fayyad, the Palestinian prime minister.

Obama is spending the majority of his four-day Mideast trip in Israel, where the politicians and public have been skeptical of his commitment to their security. The president has sought to calm their concerns throughout his visit, reminding an audience of Israeli university students Thursday that the U.S. is their country's best friend and most important ally.

"You are not alone," Obama declared as the crowd erupted in thunderous applause.

Still, he nudged Israel to take steps to reverse an "undertow" of international isolation that is worsened by its failure to make peace with the Palestinians. In a region roiled by political unrest, Obama said the days when the Israelis can seek protection from a handful of autocratic leaders in other nations are over, and he urged them to seek common ground with the Arab people, not just their governments.

Hours before Obama arrived in the West Bank, militants in the Gaza Strip launched at least two rockets at the southern Israeli town of Sderot, causing damage but no injuries, according to Israeli officials. As a presidential candidate in 2008, Obama visited the border town, which is frequently targeted in rocket attacks.

A small, murky, al-Qaida-inspired group calling itself the Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem claimed responsibility for the rocket fire. In a statement emailed to The Associated Press, it said it was sending a message to "Osama's soldiers" to protest the visit by "the Roman dog Obama" and to continue its campaign of holy war.

Over the past decade, Gaza militants have fired thousands of rockets and mortar shells at Israel, prompting Israel, with considerable U.S. assistance, to develop its Iron Dome missile defense system, which it credits with intercepting many rockets.

The president closed his five-hour trip to the West Bank with a visit to a U.S. government-funded youth center, where he cheered a performance by a dance troupe and held a private roundtable discussion with a small group of young Palestinian men. He recalled the conversation later in his Jerusalem speech, saying that if "any Israeli parent sat down with those kids, they'd say, 'I want these kids to succeed; I want them to prosper.' I believe that's what Israeli parents would want for these kids if they had a chance to listen to them and talk to them."

While Obama was welcomed warmly in Israel, where U.S. and Israeli flags dotted the roadsides, Palestinians showed little excitement over Obama's shorter stop in the West Bank. Protesters defaced and burned posters of Obama in an expression of dissatisfaction with U.S. policy in the region. Several dozen demonstrators also gathered in downtown Ramallah during Obama's meetings, protesting what is perceived in the Palestinian territories to be a strong U.S. bias in favor of Israel.

The president opened the second day of his trip at Jerusalem's Israel Museum, a stop aimed at highlighting both the Jewish people's ancient connection to the land that is now Israel and the small nation's thriving modern economy.

The president and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu viewed the Dead Sea Scrolls, the ancient Hebrew texts. It was a symbolic visit for Obama, who has battled against a perception in Israel that he sees the Holocaust, not historical ties to the region, as the rationale for the existence of the Jewish state. The president has repeatedly sought to correct that impression.

As he viewed the ancient scrolls displayed in a dimly lit room, Obama marveled at how the Hebrew language had changed so little that Netanyahu could read some of the writings. The two then toured a technology exhibit at the museum featuring several modern Israeli inventions, including an electric vehicle battery, a technology Obama has promoted in the U.S.

Obama was awarded Israel's Medal of Distinction Thursday night during a lavish dinner. He is the first sitting U.S. president to receive Israel's highest civilian honor.

___

Associated Press writers Matthew Lee, Ian Deitch and Josef Federman in Jerusalem, and Karin Laub and Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah contributed to this report.

___

Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/peace-possible-obama-insists-middle-east-205418941--politics.html

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Chicago notifies teachers and parents of school closings

CHICAGO (AP) ? Chicago teachers, students and parents began learning Thursday whether their schools are among those the city plans to close as part of a cost-cutting plan that opponents say will disproportionately affect minority children.

Chicago Public Schools, the nation's third-largest school district, hasn't said how many schools or students will be affected. Administrators identified up to 129 schools that could be shuttered, although the total number is expected to fall short of that number.

The district says many of those schools don't serve enough students to justify remaining open, and that the closures will help it deal with a $1 billion budget shortfall and better allocate its resources to students.

The pending closures have been the subject of highly charged community meetings all over the city. Critics say that, among other things, the closures will threaten the safety of students who may have to cross gang boundaries if their schools are closed and that they will cause major inconveniences for families.

Chicago is among several major U.S. cities, including Philadelphia, Washington and Detroit, among others, to use mass school closures to reduce costs and offset declining enrollment.

The issue has led to yet another clash between Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Chicago Teachers Union over the direction of the city's schools. A strike by the union's 26,000 teachers last fall idled roughly 350,000 students for seven days, and Emanuel has clashed with the union over his push to lengthen the school day.

At Lafayette Elementary, a school in the Humboldt Park neighborhood where 95 percent of its 483 students come from low-income families, the principal read teachers a letter from the district Thursday saying the school is among those it plans to close, said teacher Rosemary Maurello.

Sandra Leon, who was picking up her two grandchildren from kindergarten at Lafayette, wept as she spoke to a reporter about the plans, which she heard about from their teacher in a tearful phone call.

"It's been so good for our kids. This school is everything," said Sandra Leon, whose children also attended the school.

The message read to Lafayette teachers said a final decision would be made in May after more community meetings are held and budget plans are reviewed. But Maurello said letters and information packets were already being sent to parents, and the district's message to teachers included a mention of specific plans to move the Lafayette students to another school about 10 blocks away.

"It sounds like a done deal to me," Maurello said.

Like many teachers, she is worried about where her students will end up. As a tenured teacher, the contract allows her to follow her students to their new school, but she wonders if some of them will opt to go to other schools instead.

The district has plans for community organizations to help students get to their new locations safely, but Maurello wonders how long that will last.

"I truly believe that it's going to be chaos," she said.

Many of the schools targeted for possible closure are in parts of south and west Chicago that are beset by gang violence and that have the highest homicide rates, leading to concerns for the safety of students who might have to enter areas farther from home to get to their new schools. Chicago registered more than 500 homicides last year for the first time since 2008.

That violence has hit areas like North Lawndale, where 59-year-old Eular Hatchett walks her 13-year-old nephew, DaVontay Horace, to school to ensure he gets there safely.

"Our parents know about this area," she said. "They don't know about those other areas. If they send him way north or way south, I'm not going to do that. It's too dangerous."

When she dropped her nephew off at Henson Elementary on Thursday, teachers were coming out of a meeting looking distraught and with their heads down, leading her to suspect that it's among those that will close. The teachers told her and others that they weren't permitted to talk about it.

For some of the affected children, it would be the second time in recent years that they've been displaced. When Chicago closed many of its public housing high-rises in recent years, school closings followed.

Many teachers and parents expressed anger and frustration at how the news of the school closures trickled out, leaving some to agonize over rumor and conjecture, instead learning the list of schools in one official announcement.

"In a word, the approach was brutal. It's certainly not deserved by these parents and these kids," said Mary Visconti, the director of the Better Boys Foundation, a youth organization in Lawndale.

A member of the City Council who represents the area, Michael Chandler, told a community gathering that he was informed Wednesday night of two Lawndale schools that will be closing, but he didn't name them.

Chicago Public Schools has until March 31 to announce which of the 129 schools it will close.

After published reports late Wednesday said the announcement would occur Thursday, a CPS spokeswoman said she could not confirm that information. The district released a one paragraph statement from CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett that reiterated that the announcement would be soon.

"For too long children in certain parts of Chicago have been cheated out of the resources they need to succeed in the classroom because they are in underutilized, under resourced schools," Byrd-Bennett said in the statement.

The district did not respond to requests for comment Thursday.

The list will not be final until the Chicago Board of Education votes on it in late May.

The Chicago Teachers Union, which has vigorously fought the closure plans, did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/chicago-teachers-notice-school-closings-135826568.html

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