Bathroom Ideas For A New Look

Bathrooms are the one room of the house that not only has a tendency to become cluttered but also boring in a short period of time. I have found that the best time to spruce up the looks of the bathroom is when I am cleaning out the cabinets and de-cluttering. For a small amount of money, you can easily change the bathroom. Keep reading for bathroom ideas for a new look.

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• De-Clutter

The first thing you need to do is clean everything out. Bathroom cabinets tend to become over stuffed with all types of items. The body cream you didn’t like, the latest and greatest razor that cut your legs, the shampoo that made your hair flat. This is probably something a lot of us do. We store these things and then never use them. So it’s time to get rid of it and give yourself more storage space for the next round of never-to-use products.

• Remove All Accessories

Once you have de-cluttered, it is time to remove everything from the bathroom. Give yourself a blank slate to work with. This includes, towels and shower curtains and any other accessories placed around.

• Paint

Nothing perks a room up like giving it a new color. I am a great fan of paint. The most inexpensive decorating item around. Go ahead and paint the bathroom any color that you want. It can be soft or bold. This is a great place to try out sponge painting. Make your own statement or create your own mood. Here’s a link to my post about creative painting:

http://her-home-blog.com/2008/04/creative-interior-painting/

• Now Clean

After the painting is done, it is time to give the place a good cleaning. Scrub the shower, the bathtub, the toilet, the sink and the floors. Don’t forget the light fixture and bathroom fan when cleaning. The bathroom will look sparkle like it is new and will smell great too.

• Time To Accessorize

Here comes the fun part. Use items you already have that match your new color or buy inexpensive items within your budget to accessorize. Most of us already have different colored towels and face clothes. Go ahead and use them. Instead of buying expensive vanity items, use baskets. They will go with any color that you have chosen to paint your bathroom. Use clear glass accessories that you can use again with any color you decide to change to in the future.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashleytheartist2002/

• Hardware

If you haven’t blown the budget on accessories, go ahead and get new hardware. A newer modern towel rack, toilet paper holder and cabinet door knobs will add detail to your new look. You can also purchase a can of spray paint and paint your old hardware to match your new color.

• Lighting

If the light fixture is old, you can opt for purchasing a new one or just change the covering. Sometimes just giving the light fixture a good cleaning will do the trick and make it shine like new. Placing some scented candles in the bathroom will give it a softer look and add a fragrant smell.

It doesn’t take much to redesign and give a bathroom a new look. Most of it is your time and energy. In the end, it is really enjoyable to see what you have done without breaking your budget. By doing it this way, you can change it often to go with the most recent trends in colors.

Do you have other easy bathroom ideas? Go ahead and share them with everyone.

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6 Ceramic Cabinet Knobs

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Have you ever purchased flowers for your garden only to have them wilt and die? On many occasions I have given up planting anything for this reason. That is, until I learned a few tips for buying healthy flowers. Now I look forward to checking out all of the new plants that are available at the home and garden stores.

Tall or Short

When looking at flowers that you want to purchase, read the label to see how tall they are going to grow. This will help you determine what stage of growth they are in at the time you are shopping. If a plant grows to 15 inches and it is already 10 inches tall, it has almost reached it height potential. You want to choose a younger plant. Keep away from tall plants that are also thin. Pick a plant that is compact, short and bushy. These will give you the best growth.

Blooms or No Blooms

We all want the instant garden so we tend to pick a plant that is already blooming. This is almost like asking for guaranteed failure. If you want your flowers to survive, pick a plant that does not have flowers. These plants are still young and have a way to go before blooming which is what you want for your garden so that they will last throughout the season.

Final Inspection

So you’ve picked a short, bushy plant that is not yet blooming. Wait. You must do a final inspection to make sure that it is actually healthy.

1. The first thing you need to do is check the label and make sure that the plant is right for the zone you live in. Just because the store sells it doesn’t mean it will thrive in your area. I found this out when I bought hostas. I had them up north and loved how they thrived and spread around the yard. I went and purchased them in Florida and not one of them ever grew.

2. Feel the soil to see if it is moist. If it feels dried out, put it down and move on.

3. Look at the leaves. Is their color vibrant? Do they look healthy? If the leaves are droopy, dried out or have leaf burn, walk away and find another one.

4. Check the bark or stems. If they are cracked, start looking again.

5. Look underneath the container and check the roots. If the roots are coming out of the flower pot, then the plant is too big. Remember, you are looking for a young plant.

6. Check for bugs. You definitely don’t want to buy a plant that has bugs. You need to check the leaves and the soil for bugs.

It is a lot of fun to plant in the garden and see how everything grows as the season progresses. Now that you know how to buy healthy flowers, it’s time to go out and start search for them.

Do you have a favorite flower that blooms year and year with no problems? Let us know what it is.

Having clean windows is one of those things I love to have but I don’t necessarily like to do. Since I have lived in different areas, I have also found that the amount of times you need to clean your windows varies. Since moving to the Southeast along the coast, I’ve notice that the windows get dirty faster. Maybe it’s the wind or maybe it’s the salt and sand in the air. Whatever it is, I find myself cleaning the windows quite a few times a year. By doing it so much, I have discovered some tips for cleaning windows that will make it easier each time you
do it.

Outside

Whether you are using a commercial window cleaner or a homemade natural cleaner, use a lint free cloth. If you don’t have any available, try using newspapers. They are lint free and actually work quite well to clean windows. You may want to wear rubber or latex gloves when using newspaper to keep your hands from turning black from the ink.

The best time to check for problems is when you are cleaning your windows. If you see that the caulking or sealant is cracking or pulling away, now is the time to repair it. Having sealed windows will help keep your fuel bill down.

Newer windows are framed with vinyl while older windows are framed with metal. Some are made of wood. I have older windows framed with black metal that tends to get worn. When I clean the windows, I keep a black paint pen with me so that I can touch up the frames as I’m going along. This keeps the windows always looking new. You can do this for any type of window.

Since you have to remove the screens when cleaning the windows, it is perfect time to wash them. Use your hose and a soft brush to remove dust and dirt buildup. If a screen is really weather beaten, replace it. You can pick these supplies up at your local home improvement store. Repair kits are also available for small tears.

Indoors

Remove any shades or blinds at least twice a year and clean them. Find a place in the yard, maybe on the fence, to hang them. I usually hose them down, scrub them with a brush and then hose them down again. Then just leave them in the sun to dry. This really gets them clean and looking new again.

If you are not changing drapes or curtains when you are washing the interior windows, then vacuum them to remove any dust. While the vacuum is handy, use it to clean the window tracks. Again, you should look for any worn caulking or sealant and repair it at this time.
Clean any window sills or ledges.

By doing a few extra things each time your clean your windows, you’ll be saving time and money in the future by keeping them in good condition. Replacing windows is not only a big job but also a big expense.

Try some of these ideas out and see if it gets easier each time you do a window cleaning. Let me know if it has helped you.

When I purchased my first home, I had no idea where to start. I would look in the newspaper or real estate magazines and just call the realtor who was advertising the home that I wanted to look at. I made the same mistake when selling my first home. Many years and mistakes later, I finally realized that there are important things to consider when choosing a realtor whether you are buying or selling a home.

If you are purchasing a home, it is a wise choice to find a buyer’s agent. These agents work exclusively with buyers and, therefore, work for you. If you are selling a home, the agent that list the house and places the house ad is the selling agent.

For today, let’s say you want to sell your home. By doing these things, you will able to sit back and be assured that you have wisely chosen a realtor.

• Try to get referrals from friends or family.

• Interview at least three agents and make sure to ask questions.

• The agent must have an active real estate license and be in good standing.

• They should belong to the multiple listing service (mls).

• Being an agent should be their full time job.

• You should ask how long they have been in the business.

• When choosing a seller’s agent, you should ask how many homes they have listed and sold over the past year.

• They should have a presence on the internet.

• When choosing a realtor, you should ask for references.

• You want to choose an agent who handles homes in your price range.

• When interviewing an agent, make sure that they listen to you. If you ask questions, they should give clear explanations that you easily understand.

• They should be a member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR). This association has a very strict code of ethics.

• What will they do for their commission? Do they arrange for inspections, work with mortgage companies and title companies.

• Many states now have license information online. You should check with your state to see if any complaints were filed against a realtor of your choice.

Many of us don’t realize that a realtor is working for you while at the same time working for other people. You are the one who is going to pay them and so, therefore, you want to be comfortable with them. You also want to be assured that they are going to do their best for you. Whether you are buying or selling a home, it is a very big financial investment and should not be taken lightly. With a little bit of homework and your list of important things to consider when choosing a realtor, you will be able to pick the best agent for your peace of mind.

If you have had experience with choosing a realtor or are in the process of choosing one, I would love from you.

It’s in the news and everywhere we turn. It’s all about the mortgage industry and how it is falling apart. The reality is that the unconventional types of mortgages have created problems and are probably a thing of the past. The risky way of qualifying for a mortgage is also becoming a thing of the past while
the historical conventional way is still around. So if you are looking for a new mortgage or a refinance, remember these tips so you know how to choose the right mortgage to avoid trouble later.

Image details: Miniature house and bank loan brochures served by picapp.com

Basically, we are back to the old fashioned conventional, FHA and VA mortgages. Although all mortgages have their risk, these types are the good, quality mortgages that are still available. Which one you choose will depend on your financial situation, your credit score and your lender.

More importantly at this point is whether to take a fixed rate or an adjustable rate mortgage. For many years in the past, everyone wanted a fixed rate. Then, it seemed like all of the sudden, the tides changed. All of the hype was geared to the adjustable rate mortgage. This type of loan was highly advertised because people were qualified based on the initial low rate at the time of application, not the going fixed rate or the potential higher adjustable rate. The lender’s reasoning for using an adjustable rate was that most people move within three years or will refinance within three years. The last reason for justifying the use of an adjustable rate always puzzled me. Reasoning was that within three years of taking an adjustable rate loan you would have a better job, get a promotion or have a salary increase which would take care of the increase in rate and mortgage payment. In the end, more people were able to get approved and lenders were able to close more loans.

Now things have changed. If someone wants an adjustable rate, they must qualify based on the fixed rate at the time of application. Although this is better than it was in the past, there are no guarantees of what the fixed rate is going to be in the future. Making the choice between fixed rate and adjustable rate is probably the most important decision you will make.

With a fixed rate loan, your principal and interest will stay the same for the life of the loan. Taxes and insurance might and usually do go up which will increase your payment. The fixed rate is not that much higher than an adjustable rate and you will not have to refinance if there is no other needs.

You probably already know that the adjustable rate loan payment will change depending on the terms that you agreed upon along with tax and insurance increases. With this you can always refinance. The risk is that your credit has changed or the fixed rate is higher and you cannot qualify. Keep in mind that every time you refinance, there is a cost to pay. Closing costs can add anywhere from $3000 to $6000 or more on to the loan amount.

Everyone needs to make their own decision when choosing which way to go. I, personally, am a fixed rate enthusiast. I don’t like risks or surprises. And I don’t like to keep paying the bank more money to do another loan. It becomes a vicious cycle. My theory is, get it done and get it paid off as quick as possible.

So there you have it. You have just read about the good, the bad and the ugly. I hope this helps you when making your decision when choosing the right mortgage which, by the way, is your decision and only your decision. Do let anyone else do it for you or talk you into something that you are not comfortable with.

Need to talk about this? Go ahead and post your thoughts below.

Just last week, I was browsing around our local super home improvement store when I stopped to look at the kitchens that were on display. It caught my eye that the counter tops were no longer granite which is what I had gotten used to seeing in every store and every ad. So I decided to ask a sales person about the current counter top trend. I could not believe that the trend for the modern kitchen was now solid surface counter tops again. What is a homeowner to do!? Styles are constantly changing.

Today’s modern kitchen is all about open wide space. The kitchen has now become a part of the family room and the living room. In some places, it is called a great room. If you have an older kitchen that is cut off from the rest of the rooms, you can remedy this by taking down a connecting wall. It gives the appearance of a much larger room and no longer cuts off the activity of the kitchen. I once owned a home that had a separation wall between the kitchen and living room. The previous owner cut out a portion of the wall creating a large window opening to the living room. This worked great since it opened up the spaces but kept the living room noise out of the kitchen.

Another trend happening today is color. Appliances are being made in different colors while kitchen walls are being painted bright and bold. Even kitchen cabinets are now available in colors for a modern look.

Flat panel televisions are finding their way onto kitchen walls today. Refrigerators are being made with LCD TV’s on the door since 2005. High tech televisions in the kitchen are definitely part of today’s trend.

Some kitchen cabinets are looking more like furniture. Decorative moldings and raised feet on cabinets are the latest choices for remodeling a kitchen.

The one sink kitchen is gone. Any kitchen that has an island is now equipped with an additional sink similar to a wet bar.

I found out when looking around that a lot of today’s trends for the modern kitchen are actually a blast from the past. The bright colors, the decorative moldings and the raised feet have all been around already. They’re just back in style again. So don’t get rid of that granite counter top. It is sure to be tomorrow’s trend.

I think next week I will check out what’s new in small appliances. I wonder if bread makers and pasta machines are on their way back.

If you have seen any new trends out there for the kitchen, let us know so we can keep up to date with what’s going on. Maybe the things we have packed away are in style again.