Home and Casa

Summer is the perfect time to feel your best–warm weather and sunshine make efforts to get outside and be active easier, and fresh produce (plus more family time to eat dinner, grill out and go to social events for meals) make the summer months the perfect time to conquer your diet woes.

Need a plan to get healthy, happy, and fit over the summer? Get started with:

1) Running (or walking)
One of the most efficient ways to increase lung capacity, build muscle, and burn fat is to run. It takes time to build the endurance to run for extended periods of time, so start with walking quickly and cycling off and on between jogging and walking. Make sure to hydrate whenever you run, wear sunscreen if you’ll be running outdoors, replenish your body with supplements like those from bbf.com, and always stretch before and after to care for your muscles and get more out of your workout.

2) Better habits
Remember all those things your mom used to make you do that you hated so much as a kid? It’s time to take those things seriously–exercise and eat well each day, drink plenty of water, go to bed early enough to be well rested, take vitamins and bsn supplements, and give yourself time to recuperate between meetings, errands, family events, and phone calls.

3) Eating fresh, whole foods
We all drive through a fast food restaurant every now and then, but make an effort to reduce this type of greasy, carb-filled meal as well as the overly sugary and fatty snacks that have become standard in American life. Stock up on healthy snacks like easy-to-pack or grab-on-the-go fruits or wholesome whole-grain snacks. You can always supplement your nutrition (check out bb.com for supplements) but you can’t undo the junk you eat. It’s better to eat minimally and make up for essential nutrients than to overeat and fill your body with fat, toxins, and other unhealthy foods.

Before you leave town this summer (whether it’s for a weekend trip to Grandmas or a two-month trip to Europe) make sure you damage-proof your home from burglary, fire, and other types of damage. A few simple steps can prevent you from being unpleasantly surprised upon your return home!

1. Have a contact person
   Choose a neighbor, a family member who lives close by, or a trusted friend. If you’re only going to be gone a couple days, just ask them to do a quick check–do they see broken windows or something suspicious, or hear your alarm from outside? If you’re going to be gone for longer, get a house sitter or have your chosen point person use a house key to make sure pipes are draining, fish are fed, and that there’s no hazardous conditions (like freezing pipes or open food). In addition to letting a friend know, you may also want to let the landlord know you’ll be out of town and how to get in touch with you if something extreme happens, like a fire or other catastrophe.
2. Make it seem like you’re home
   Invest in some outlet timers for lamps, so it will look like you’re home and turning lights on and off. Leave a radio or television playing loudly enough that it can be heard outside windows and doors. Don’t leave tell tale clues of absence (like dry/dead plants, piling up mail or papers, or an obviously empty garage.) and mask these signs as well as you can.
3. Take Safety Precautions
   Burglary is usually the risk people worry about most when leaving home, but other problems can also occur and can be drastically worse if you’re not home to notice or take care of them. Unplug as many appliances as possible to avoid the risk of something shorting out and starting a fire. Leave heat set high enough to keep pipes from freezing, make sure food is stored so it won’t go bad or become infested, and make sure to seal windows and doors to avoid water damage if it’s a wet time of year.

You may or may not have heard of Pex Pipe, which as a type of tubing used on construction and home improvement. It’s a common name for a produce known more generically as High Density PolyEthylene, or HDPE. This is a type of piping or tubing made out of extruded granules of Polyethylene plastic that is melted and formed so they link together in a strong and sturdy single unit. This, consequently, is also where the name “Pex” comes from–PE for PolyEthylene and the X as a representation of the crosslinking that occurs during fabrication.

The product itself is pretty cool in how it is formed, but you may still be wondering what it’s useful for. The answer? Almost everything. It’s practically the duct-tape of piping. A good example, though, is pex pipe used in radiant heating, under flooring slabs or for hydronic heating in baseboards and radiators. This type of plastic is hearty and can withstand high temperatures, so it’s also good for channeling any temperature of water, through walls, floors, to bathroom fixtures, or wherever you need it.

Some HDPE tubing is also designed to withstand the kinks and deformations that can make using a plastic tubing problematic for use in tight or angled spaces, such as around corners or running between the main pipes and, say, a kitchen appliance.

Pex pipe can withstand 100psi pressures and 180 degree Fahrenheit temperature, so it’s up to par with the needs of most homeowners who are building a new house or improving a current home. It’s bright colors and flexible texture also make it good for larger scale buildings, such as apartment complexes and some businesses, because the plastic tubing can easily be used to attach appliances and distinguish between hot and cold lines when repairmen or new tenants come into the building.

Many homeowners get overwhelmed by the idea of getting organized, minimizing what they own and seriously cleaning their homes. My best advice is to take half a year and take it slowly and seriously–it will be rewarding in more ways than one. Find an affordable storage unit and get started–a project each month.

Why the storage unit? Because the best approaches to organizing your home all involve large amounts of stuff around, and it’s counterproductive to just dump it into another area of your house. With a little borrowed space and a few weekends, you can get control of your life.

Divide your storage unit into three sections:

1. Accumulate things to sell in a garage sale
2. Store boxes, packing tape, storage bins and other organizing supplies
3. Keep one for staging items during your current project.

Each month, work on a separate section of the house. Throw away useless items, put sell-able items into the garage sale section of the unit, and divide everything else into organized categories.

Month 1: Start with the kitchen and dining room. Throw out expired food, take stock of what you have multiples of (do you really need three colanders?) and move everything to the storage unit so you can deep clean and disinfect the entire kitchen. When you move everything back in, take the time to sort utensils into drawer organizers and organize pantry food into containers.

Month 2: Do all the bathrooms in the house at once. Throw away expired product and medications and move everything out to do a deep clean, like you did with the kitchen. Take this opportunity to check the plumbing and do simple maintenance, like replacing broken tiles or drawer knobs. Organize items when you return them to the cabinets and drawers.

Month 3: Living areas next. Still own VHS tapes? Ditch ‘em. How many remotes do you have? Get a universal. Do you really read that collection of magazines? Purge, and add lots of stuff to you garage sale section. You may want to move furniture and have the floors shampooed or refinished. Take time to repair broken furniture and details (baseboards!) before moving everything back in.

Month 4: Bedrooms: Make the kids do their own. This will be the other big opportunity to contribute to the garage sale section. Do so. Organize jewelry, clothing, and all of the other “stuff” that accumulates in dresser drawers. Get rid of clothing and accessories you haven’t used in the last year. Rid yourself of some sentimental items if possible, like wedding dresses and some of that baby stuff (keep the shoes and locks of hair, get rid of the rest).

Month 5: Office and other areas, such as game rooms, guest rooms, and hallway closets. This is going to be the most work in terms of reorganizing into new categories and containers. Take time, and stage file folders, bins and binders in your storage space as you finish them. Once everything is organized, return it to the proper area in your home.

Month 6: Basement and garage. You’re a pro now. Good luck–and remember that those tools are only worth having if you ever actually use them, and the same goes for the treadmill and bench press. . Get rid of stuff your family has outgrown and draw out a plan for how to use these big spaces once you’ve organized the things that go into them.

As the weather warms up, you may have noticed a sudden influx of ants in your kitchen. It’s alarming to know that they’re near your food, and they can seem hard to completely eliminate, so quick and efficient action is your best plan of defense against these creepy, crawly little insects. They may be large or small, but they’re certainly unwelcome either way.

Before you begin, consider whether they are after your food or after your home–some ants are carpenter ants and prefer eating away the the interior studs of your home than eating your leftover dinner crumbs. Your method of pest control will depend greatly on which type of ant you have, so do research before you take any action.

Even if you suspect that they are carpenter ants, it’s better safe than sorry–put the food away! Make sure that you clean up scraps and crumbs and sweep food prep and eating areas after every meal so they won’t have an incentive to scout the area out. Seal food in airtight, inaccessible containers–even food in cabinets and fridges. Make sure you use a kitchen garbage can with a lid… this will help keep out larger pests like mice, too.

Invest in some ant traps or ant poison. The little plastic baits you put under you sink and along the baseboards typically only last about 3 months, so go through and replace them if you see live ants. They will take a few days to work completely, but you should see  a reduction in the number of ants overnight.

Wash counters and floors, making sure that all traces of food scent and oil have been removed. The fewer ants you have out exploring, the fewer scent trails (which other ants know to follow) they will leave on these surfaces–reducing traffic is one of your main incentives.

If you’ve given it longer than two weeks and they don’t seem to be moving out, call an exterminator… you may have a bigger problem, like carpenter ants eating away at your floorboards–that is better discovered sooner than later and may require more intervention than you can provide on your own.

In the midst of a down economy, a few things are happening. One that thing is happening is, remodeling is making a comeback. Many people are realizing that, since they cannot sell their homes, they may as well remodel them. Remodeling a bathroom or kitchen can add value to a home. It also gives the homeowner more satisfaction with deciding to stay put in their current home.

One product that is making a comeback is mosaic glass tile. This tile is versatile and looks great.

Glass tiles are being used to really spruce up kitchens, bathrooms and even swimming pools. Glass tiles are both classy and elegant, and they give an added a touch to any area. Glass tiles are usually used for backsplashes.

Backsplash tile can be added to any kitchen to really take it to another level. It can be added to any existing wall or even floor to add a superior look. Many people are making the choice to remodel their kitchen, to not only change the look, but to add value to the home. The backsplash area around the sink is a perfect area for mosaic glass tile, and will add both color and texture to the kitchen.

Glass backsplash tile can be added to bathrooms as well. Bathrooms are another area that homeowners are deciding to remodel to improve the value of their home. A bathroom has many fixtures and items that can be replaced to improve the overall look of the room. On of those things is the walls and floors. Glass tiles can add texture and color to a drab bathroom.

Glass tiles are also being added to swimming pools. If you own a pool, you know how much work it is to keep clean. Mosaic glass tile can give any pool an upgraded look. Whether its a border around the inside of the pool for decoration, or a reface of the pool decking, glass tiles look great alongside any pool.

Whatever your doing to try to improve your home, don’t forget about the kitchen, bathroom and pool, and don’t forget about mosaic glass tile. It a great option for making a room look nicer, an adding value to the home.

You may consider renting a storage unit to use when you’re moving or remodeling your own home, but storage units are great for businesses and organizations, too. For institutions and groups that find themselves in a space crunch, storage units can be the perfect temporary or long-term solution–accounting won’t complain about it either, since affordable storage units are available when you know where to look.

When do businesses use storage units? Of course, the reasons are varied, but there are some common situations that call for a storage unit rental:

New Products or Accounts

Nothing puts a strain on space like new things–even if they’re welcome and good for business, they can still pose a challenge when it comes to storage. If you’ve just manufactured a lot of new product that’s about to sell like hotcakes, you may need somewhere to put it in the meantime. Likewise, if you’ve just acquired a big new client that came with lots of paperwork, the file boxes may be taking up excessive space in the breakroom.

During the Off-Season

Many companies and organizations have “off-seasons” when they just don’t need as many resources on-hands. Keeping track of supplies, furniture, and other assets by taking stock and storing it until next year is good way to responsibly prepare for the next busy season. Whether you’re a kayaking company with paddles and boats to store over the winter, a school that needs desks out of the way while new floors are put in over the summer, or a seasons ice cream stand with scoops and registers to tuck away, there’s no better place to wait out the slow season than a rental storage unit.

Make a Better Impression

Clients don’t want to do business with a company that appears cluttered and disorganized. What are your reception area, front office and client-facing staff offices saying about the way you do business? Tuck away archived files, extra furniture, next-month’s-business-fair-swag, and the reset of the clutter to make your space focused on doing business and making clients confident.

The bathroom is one of the places that many people like to decorate. There is a lot of opportunity for fancy fixtures and decor. Bathroom accessories can range from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. With the economy as bad as it is, many people are choosing to stay in their current homes. They are fixing things up in hopes to sell later.

One of the first places people look to upgrade is the kitchen. Kitchens have plenty of opportunity for improvement with cabinet upgrades, new paint, construction enhancements and new appliances.

The second place homeowners look to upgrade is in the bathroom. Improving bathrooms are a great way to add to the value of the home. Other than the shower, the sink is the main focus of a bathroom. The sink can really make a bathroom go from dull to delightful. The 960-bronze-drop-in-sink is one of the best.

The 960 topmount sink is made from bronze and is constructed in only one piece. This construction provides strength and durability that will last. The 960 has sea fossil details that give the sink character. The sink has a special finish of antique patina that will virtually hide scrstches that may occur. The 960 sink measures 23” x 18 ½” x 6” with a centered drain. The 960-bronze-drop-in-sink is covered with a limited warranty. This warranty lasts for the life of the sink.

If you, or someone you love is looking for the best choice in bathroom sinks, the beautiful bronze 960 topmount sink is the best choice.

When it comes to caring for horses, whether they are in your back yard or in a professionally managed stable, it is important to always find the right products for the job. Why? Because some products will work better than others, but also because certain types of product may be toxic to your animals, making them risky to use in an animal care environment.

Many horse and stable owners find themselves choosing horse bedding but unsure what features to look for and what prices to expect. A little market research can help you a lot when it comes to choosing these types of products. For example, cherry and walnut wood products are toxic to horses and unsafe for use in stables, arenas, paddocks or any other area where a horse could inhale or ingest sawdust, chips, or mulch. Other hardwoods are fine, but horse caretakers should check which types of wood are used in their stable’s bedding and products to ensure their horses’ safety and health.

It’s also important to choose the appropriate type of ground-covering for your horse. It may be tempting to use the same product as horse bedding and in the arena, but these two environments demand very different products.

Stable bedding should be soft and absorbent to provide a comfortable, sanitary place for your horse to relax, eat and sleep.  Appropriate hardwood sawdust and soft woodchips specifically cut to be used as bedding are perfect for this application, but if used in the arena would provide treacherous and hard to maintain floor.

Riding arena footing is the most important consideration when choosing the variety of mulch appropriate for show arenas, exercise rings and training areas. In the parts for the facility where horses will be active and maneuvering, it is important to give them traction without irritating their feet. Shredded hardwood (again, excluding cherry and walnut) is good for this application because it does not slip easily and allows for drainage and easy raking.

When you get to retirement age, you want to relax and have fun. You have worked hard and have dedicated yourself to your family for many years. It is time to kick back and enjoy yourself. Dolce Vita is a Resort Style retirement community located in Mesa, Arizona, right next to Phoenix and Scottsdale. With the Sonoran desert in the background, Dolce Vita makes a perfect place to enjoy the Valley.

Dolce Vita is a gate community for retirees age 55 or older. Dolce Vita has an extravagant 33,000 square foot clubhouse. The property is equipped with tons of amenities including a billiard room, pool, workout room, craft room, movie theater and ballroom. And that’s just inside. Outside, Dolce Vita has water aerobic classes, two spas, tennis, bocce ball, horseshoes, shuffleboard and a putting green.

Dolce Vita has a fantastic location right off route 60, with easy access to Phoenix and Scottsdale.

Dolce Vita gives its residents choices. The community has eight floor plans to choose from . You can choose from the 946 square foot Elianta all the way up to the 2,050 square foot Serenita, and everything in between.

The most impressive thing about Dolce Vita is the character of its Old World style. Quality and  integrity are a trademark of this impressive community. The Dolce Vita community is one of the most sought after retirement homes in Phoenix.