What would you take in case of emergency

I don’t want to be bad luck or anything like that but I sometimes wonder what exactly are the first things I would grab if there was a emergency and I had to leave my house in a rush. I think of stuff like my Xbox and TV and all those kinds of things but I honestly believe that if it should ever come to that time those kind of things will be the last thing on my mind. My mother might think she is going to grab some kitchen appliances before she leaves but I beg to differ and say that she will probably be heading for the same items like me.

My cellphone

I am 100% sure that no matter what I will be grabbing my cellphone first. Even before I know what kind of danger I am in I will still look for my cellphone. I don’t think I will be able to live without it anyways so I will rather take the chance of looking for it instead of just leaving it behind.

My warmest blankets

Maybe there is a huge fire and maybe carrying blankets around while there is a blaze near to you is not the smartest idea. On the other hand maybe I might be sleeping in a place I don’t know which is super cold and the only blankets they give you is that thin hospital ones. If that is the case then I will be glad to have taking the risk of running with my blankets because I hate getting cold. I might even take the duvet and a blow up mattress if I can find one quickly.

My pets

No matter what kind of dog(or animal I have at that time) and regardless of their size I will take them with me. Even if I had a Great Dane dog at the time I will pick that big guy up and run with him as far as I can until I pass him on to somebody else to carry the rest of the way.

Even though I believe that I will be taking all my electronics out my room in case of emergency the reality is that these are the only things I will try to find when that time comes.

Tips on tropical garden design

I love my tropical garden and when I get home it’s the first place I explore. A tropical garden always has something new every time you walk through it. New birds or butterflies always seem to make their homes in my garden. Growing a tropical garden can be an adventure if you enjoy gardening and you will be able to leave the garden to let it grow into the “tamed jungle” look.

To create the perfect tropical garden you need a big space to begin with. This way you will be able to create the perfect atmosphere for the garden and you will have a big garden to walk through and relax in. People enjoy tropical gardens since it gives the feeling of luxury and peace.

Plants

A big feature of tropical gardening is the large amounts of plants and flowers you use to get the tropical effect. The flowers and plants you use in your garden are greatly varied so you will be able to pick different shapes, sizes and colours to your heart’s content. The flowers and plants you will buy usually have dramatic colours as well as extravagant shapes and sizes, some of these flowers include the frangipani, hibiscus and bougainvillea. If you’re like me you enjoy different fragrances as well, if that’s true then you should buy flowers such as the jasmine and maybe the Michelia Champaca. The Michelia Champaca may not be as pretty as the jasmine but it still has a wonderful scent as is used in perfume bottles. Bamboo plants also give off a wonderful tropical garden feel and you should at least plant a few of them in your garden.

Statues

Having the right amount of statues in your garden also gives it the perfect tropical look. Placing lanterns, vases and statues in the correct location can be great for your total look of the garden. It’s even better if you can place them next to creepers or lush bushes so that the plants can grow over them or around them. Winding paths and water streams also give a feeling of a jungle and it’s a great form of relaxation as you stroll through the garden. Some gardens use decking for their walkways, the most popular one used is timber decks.

Origins

Depending on your style you might choose to add some culture from other countries to your garden. People usually add a touch of Balinese, Polynesian or Thai to their garden. Decking the entrance to your garden or placing timber decks on your walkway gives a finished touch to your design. I used the Thai theme and it went brilliantly together.

Once you’re all set and done you will be able to invite family and friends and entertain them in your tropical garden. The maintenance is minimal if you plan well and you will have beautiful plants all year round.

Your home compared to the Internet

So today I want to tell you about some home improvements that you should be doing for your home and comparing it to the online world. There are certain things that people should be doing in order to make there homes beautiful and attractive for all guests. This is pretty much the same for webmasters and controlling their own websites.

Having a great design makes visitors feel welcome....
You have to make sure that the first room of your house is very attractive on the eyes. Many times visitors will only be in your lounge area which is usually the first are in your house. From this most people will already see how well you maintain your household. Adding vibrant colors and beautiful home appliances will work out best for you while trying to impress your guests. Add some nice ceramic tiles that compliment your decor and wall colors to give a added effect.

The layout of your kitchen should be like having breadcrumbs on your website

Most of your visitors will never see your kitchen but for those few family members that will see it, please make sure they can find their way around easily. Having similar items placed all over the kitchen will just you frustrated while you busy in the kitchen. It's just like when you searching for something on a website and they have bad menus and a bad layout. Everybody likes to find their way around easily and don't like to spend to much time looking for a specific something.

Guest bedrooms should still be kitted out with only the best features.

Guest bedrooms might sound like a rare thing but there are plenty of homes out there that have these kind of rooms for the occasional guest that stays over. Make sure they have plenty of space to accommodate for luggage and anything else they might have with them but still have all the necessities. This is similar to having a guest account on your website where those users still have access to certain features.

That is just 3 small features which people sometimes overlook but really need to pay a lot of attention to. I have mentioned ceramic tiles but porcelain tiles will also work perfectly. Other stuff you need to remember is that the guest bedroom is actually one that your staying over visitors will spend the most time in and will need to feel comfortable in at all times.

The Yards of Some of Our Favorite Celebs

We have looked at celebrity homes and how fancy it is but I don't think anybody has ever touched on the backyards of celebs. I am personally tired of looking at what expensive things they have bought for their homes and want to concentrate on the fascinating ideas they had when time came time to design their perfect backyard. Nothing is cheap here either though and you wont be paying a low price for deck maintenance in these homes.

Sting

Sting has stayed in his spectacular home since 1997 in Tuscany. Him and his wife bought the house back then and Sting turned it into one of the most amazing house the world has ever seen. He created a garden at the back that contains lavender, santolina and white oleander flowers. He has a man sized chess board that allows you to walk and move the pieces around. This provides for a much more exciting game of chess. His pool overlooks the Valdarno Superiore valley and most probably provides him and his wife with plenty of romantic nights.

Micheal J. Fox

Micheal J. Fox and his wife Tracy bought this $6.3 million home and has created something spectacular from it. From the kitchen it will lead you out to a sunroom that can lets you enjoy the views of the private garden. There is a porch here as well that has a fireplace which is perfect for those semi cold winter nights. I am sure Micheal would prefer to stay inside if it is to cold. Further down in the garden they have a pool with a Jacuzzi alongside it. He has opted for a more open backyard instead of putting to many features into it.

Cher

Cher has possible one of the most beautiful homes in the world and also one of the most beautiful pools as well.  The outside porch has a castle type of feeling to it with big pillars right in front of the pool. The pool is called the infinite pool and has that name because if looking at it from the porch it looks like the pool is leading straight into the ocean. The excellent use of deck paints gave the area a color that fits the style of the house perfectly.

This is just 3 of the most amazing celebrity backyards that I found very interesting. There are still plenty more that I want to cover in the future which is almost identical or much better than these ones I have spoken about already.

Home Renovation Ideas

As the years go by you will notice your house breaking down piece by piece, it’s not your fault and it another reality of life that you have to fix your house every so often.

When fixing your home you should pay attention to areas which are clearly noticeable such as walls, tiles, floors and doorknobs. All of these areas are constantly in contact with people or the elements, that’s why you need to set a day in a year to give all of them good checkups before anything serious happens. Even if your home is falling apart a good change of scenery or a fresh lick of paint can do wonders for a room. Using the correct colours in a room or setting down tiles (porcelain tiles, terra cotta tiles or stone tiles) can give the room the right texture which will improve the overall look.

Your floor and walls will be exposed to the elements the most and will get scratched, ripped open, dull, old, flaky and much more as time passes. With floor covers I generally lean towards stone tiles as they are very tough and give a great aesthetic quality to the rooms. You would think stone tiles would give of a grimy appearance but most of the designs pull of the look perfectly and fits great with most themes.

If you feel you need a touch more of elegance then I would recommend porcelain tiles. They give of that nice crystalline shine and the colours available are fantastic. They give the room a look of tidiness and look amazing with the right furniture.

Another great way to make a big change with small renovations is changing small things like broken doorknobs or replacing a light bulb. They might seem insignificant and a waste of your time but you will be impressed with the changes they make to your house.

Changing small things like the door knobs and furniture handles is inexpensive and effective for attaining a fresh neat look in any room. Although they might seem insignificant, such details can create add a touch of tidiness and trimness with minimal efforts. However, if your door or pieces of furniture show obvious signs of being worn-out or in disrepair, you may consider reconditioning or paneling them.

It’s amazing what a new coat of paint can do to a home. You don’t have to buy buckets of paint, just concentrate on one room at a time and sooner than later your home will look as good as new. Find stores which have tiles for sale at bargain prices or bargain bin specials. As I mentioned it’s the smaller things that make the difference, even if you just give your carpet a good clean or trim the bushes on your lawn, you will see a difference.

The Yard Of Success

You might have read this title and thought I am about to talk to you about some mythical place in China but honestly that is not what I want to cover today. I want to tell you about some of the most important things you want to have in your yard to make it look absolutely stunning. There aren't many people that have the space to do all these kind of stuff in their yards but if you have the money and space then this is the kind of things you need to be doing to make sure your yard stays looking good. The first thing I want to look at is your decking.

Fancy Decking

The base of your yard is your deck. You should have a fancy deck that will survive through all kinds of weather without losing any quality at all. There are plenty of options to get here and even if you looking for quality and style there will still be plenty of options available for you. From synthetic decking to plastic decking the options are unlimited.

The Water Feature

This can be a pool, Jacuzzi or even just a nice water fountain type of statue. Either way this is a must for your yard. There is just something about a pool or Jacuzzi that does it for me and I would encourage anybody to put one of these into the design of your yard. Here as well there will be plenty of options for you to choose from that will best suite you.

The BBQ area
When it comes to summer time and your friends are looking for a place to have a good BBQ and chill for the day then you should feel confident to let them come over to your house. You will want to have a BBQ area setup within your decked area. Adding a nice table to the middle of the area will work well as well.

A Outside Covered Area
You need to have a area in the yard that is covered with a roof as well. This is needed for when you want to add some other types of entertainment to the area. A nice big screen TV and some surround sound will finish the area off nicely. This gives you more than just the option to swim and eat there but you can do those things and enjoy some sport with your boys at the same time.

These are just a few things I suggest you add to your yard asap. It will make you want to spend more time outside instead of inside your home.

Illuminate your wooden deck

So you have spent some money on plastic decking and your outdoor area is looking good, but you need to add an extra something. First off, winter is the best time to start preparing your patio so that it can be ready and raring to go when spring comes around, and second, if you want an affordable and high impact change to your living space then lighting is one of the best ways to do it. Its not only functional, but it can make the space far more appealing to spend time in when the sun sets.

Lighting your deck

When looking at adding outdoor sparkle to your deck area, there are a variety of options to consider.

Post caps: These kinds of lights are a great way to illuminate the perimeter of your deck, as they can be custom made to fit any of the posts or fences which surround it. They can be made to blend in or to stand out as an ornamental focal point.

Stair lights: If you’ve got stairs built into your composite decking then not only will they add additional safety measures to the area when using it at night, but they’ll light up the stairs in a visually appealing way too. Not only can you opt for coloured lights or alternate lights from step to step, you can also get lighting installed that turns off one step at a time as you walk on them.

Rope lights: You can either wrap these around the perimeter of the deck or stairs, or strategically place them on the roof to add a soft glow from above. Incandescent rope lights can work wonders to create a relaxing ambiance in your outdoor living area.

The benefits of choosing solar lighting for your wooden decking area include:

·         They are easy to move around - without the added hassle of wiring and plugs you can change the look and feel of your outdoor area anytime you want.

·         They’ll save you money – not only will this kind of lighting give you years of use, it’ll also help you cut down on your electrical bill.

·         They’re energy efficient – because they run off the power of the sun, you don’t need to do any of the work – no need to flip a switch, pay for it or even feel guilty when you leave them on all night!

    

All of the above lighting options are available in solar powered versions these days – if you already have electrical lighting outside, it couldn’t hurt to mix in solar powered lighting with the existing beams. Another great way to accentuate your outdoor area is to put lighting in a pond or a fountain if you have one.   

The right lighting will not only increase the value of your property, it will add the benefit of more safety, and most importantly, it will be aesthetically pleasing and make the space somewhere you can’t wait to spend time in. Imagine solar glass bricks radiating light around your pool or rope lights strung in the trees around your wooden deck, all waiting to come alive when the sun goes down.