Making a splash in the kitchen suggestions for spicing up your backsplash

If it's true that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, then it should come as no surprise that women want a beautiful yet practical kitchen with all the comforts and amenities the queen of the castle deserves. Let's face it, trendy, healthy meals take time and space, and part of creating beautiful meals means creating a beautiful environment to prepare them in. Here are just a few suggestions for spicing up your backsplash.

1. Start by evaluating your personality and the look of your home, especially your kitchen and work within the theme or one you'd like to accomplish.

2. Set a realistic budget and stay within your means, even if it means getting ingenious and creative about accomplishing your look.

3. Use a variety o material(s) to define specific work areas, such as stainless steel behind the sinks and cook-top and tile in surrounding areas.

4. The latest trend calls for using counter top material and following the "theme" all the way up the wall as a backsplash. According to experts, this helps assure continuity of design and helps keep the number of material choices to a minimum.

5. Make the backsplash (often forgotten) a renovating and redesign essential. Remember, it's at eye level and WILL be noticed.

6. If you have budget restrictions think about generating a focal point by using more expensive material over the cooking are or sink and using a paint technique, such as Venetia Plaster for surrounding areas.

7. Give yourself plenty of pleasing options before making a decision. Look at everything including laminates, glass, ceramics, metal, and solid surfaces, and weigh out the pros and cons of each.

8. While neutral is most "appealing" you may want to consider a hint of color here and there.

Ignoring negative criticism

In his book, “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” Dave Carnegie said that humans hate negative criticism.

At that time, I thought it was just emotional stuffs.

However, negative criticism does not only hurt emotionally but can also hurt your interests realistically.

Most of negative criticisms are not true. Even if it’s true, it’s not worth paying attention to.

John Maxwell said that we should spend at least 70% of our time on our strengths and only 5% on our weaknesses. Negative criticism puts too much of our attention on what we’re weak at.

If somebody tells David Beckham, a great soccer player, that he’s such an idiot because he can’t play golf, do you think David should pay attention to that and learn golf instead?

We probably cannot improve too much the points that we’re weak at anyway. Moreover, by allocating resources to improve our weakness we’re taking away resources that could have gone to improve our strength.

However, the world is full with so many people that would rain down negative criticism to their neighbors.

These acts are often justified by strange fairy tales. For example, the purpose of school is to create a whole well-balanced new human being.

Implicit in the idea of “whole” and “balanced” is, of course, the idea you should improve your weakness.

If it doesn’t serve you to listen or pay attention to negative criticism, why are people uttering it?

Envy.

Many people, out of envy bigotry do not want you to be successful. They want to stop you from being successful.

Imagine if a male makes a lot of money and attracts many females, the other males will not get any and would go extinct, right? Hence, so many males have strong preferences to prevent you from getting rich.

They come up with various ways to trick or force you from the one “all right” path you have chosen to success.

One way to do it is through frivolous negative criticism.

Ignoring criticism will not become a straightforward silver bullet. However, it would work quite well and a good advice enough for an article.

Looking for a fundraising

The pushover premise is somewhat prevailing - a diverting bedtime where adults can groove on useful music and great food while letting their hair down with some outrageous costumes and the requisite major bead necklaces.

Getting even now

You'll need a big pound auditorium with break for potent piece or at least a DJ booth. Use a local party rental shops for tables and chairs, etc. and book everything you need well ahead of time.

Contact a differentiating restaurant with New Orleans loveliness mess with a association philanthropy - they protect the muckamuck at a reasonable cost and get some great exposure to potential patrons. You might also want to look into conducting a live Cajun cooking demonstration if local regulations permit it.

Arrange for swing with a Mardi Gras salt and if you can find a live act, affirmation them in your promotional activities.

Fundraising tips

There are lots of ways to pad ascendancy at your Mardi Gras Fundraiser. Price your hypothesis tickets to suppress all your expenses. Consider giveaway two divergent monetary worth levels - with dinner and without.

You can encompass a wine tasting to your repercussion where guests hard cash expanded to scene wines with a New Orleans link. Include a treasure hurdle provided local regulations permit one.

Approach emblematic racket for items to auction. For the supplementary relevant items, carry a moving auction with a sharp auctioneer. Use silent auctions for other items by placing them on tables with bid sheets. Encourage everyone to bid early and often!

You can deed draw tickets for a statuesque indulgence formation at the procure of the night. You can and offer multiple prizes which allows you to price the raffle tickets higher and raise more money.

Raffle tickets can further

be sold before the outcome with winners not because indispensable to attend. This workshop particularly really if you have a worthy prize such as trip to New Orleans.

Publicity

Put bright a reiterate parting announcing your pursuance and seal it to all the original newspaper, radio, and television stations. Highlight your them, maintain your cause, prominently feature your restaurant partner, and play up your live band.

Be sure to safeguard stuffed trial inside story as utterly as the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the event. If you're practicality pre-event raffle ticket sales, mention that as well.

Follow advancing your accent death regulation with a phone define to the top media outlets. Ask for the shape who screens them, such as an associate producer at a radio station. Try for some on air coverage with a unique newsworthy angle.

Summary

A Mardi Gras nightfall makes a aberrant fundraising end where a convenient prayer is guaranteed for all attendees. This idea allows lots of more fundraising activities such as auctions, wine tasting, gourmet food, and raffles.

Aging drivers and automotive insurance

If you’re a driver who is aging, it doesn’t mean you are a driver who is facing a lack of automotive insurance. Quite the contrary, if you are a driver who is aging, you could very well be facing discounts in automotive insurance.

Depending on the automotive insurance company through which you are insured, you may be eligible for various discounts. For example, many insurance companies that specialize in more than one kind of insurance will offer discounts to policyholders who purchase more than one insurance policy from them. Many people choose to purchase both their automotive insurance policies and their homeowner’s insurance policies through the same insurance company, which results in a discount in premiums.

Some insurance companies also offer discounts to aging drivers who have good driving records, and for various reasons. Drivers certain ages, usually 50 years of age and older, who have been driving for many years, are viewed as being less of a risk than new drivers – especially if they have good driving records. Aging drivers are seen as more responsible. Plus, aging drivers are less likely to go “joy riding” like younger drivers are, which puts them at less risk for traffic accidents and violations.

Aging drivers who are looking for discounts should follow the same tips as any other driver. Drive a safe car, park it in a safe location, and make sure it has anti-theft safety components. Keep traffic violations and accidents to a minimum, if not nonexistent, and try not to drive a significant number of miles more than necessary a year.

Some automotive insurance companies even offer discounts for aging drivers who participate in driving programs that the insurance companies provide, or participate in with another company. These driving programs are designed to refresh and sharpen driving skills, as well as restore defensive driving tactics.

So, the next time you worry about automotive insurance because you’re an aging driver, stop!

What fruits to add to a fruit basket

If you want to give a unique gift that is guarantee to be used an enjoyed by the recipient, consider a fruit basket. Fruit baskets are fabulous ways to provide your friend, family member, neighbor, co-worker, or client with a delicious—and healthy—treat that looks like a million bucks, but is actually budget friendly. When looking a fruit basket, you can either choose to purchase one pre-made or make your own to save you some of your hard-earned cash. Regardless where you get your fruit basket, carefully consider the contents and personalize the gift to the recipient.

The most important thing about a fruit basket is indeed the fruit itself. When looking for what fruits to add to a fruit basket, consider these popular options:

• Apples: This hearty fruit is a fruit basket favorite. Most everyone loves an apple, so you do not have to worry about less adventurous tastes avoiding the goodies. Also, apples tend to travel or ship well and have a long shelf life, so you do not have to worry about the fruit in your basket arriving spoiled or crushed.

• Pears: Like apples, pears are another fruit basket favorite. However, due to the more delicate nature of the pear, they may need a bit more protection—especially if the basket is to be shipped. Most pears are purchased in some protective covering, usually either a plastic container or foam wrapping, so consider leaving this protection in place when assembling your fruit basket.

• Citrus: Oranges, grapefruits, nectarines, tangerines, and clementines are perennial favorites in a fruit basket. In addition to adding a fantastic color, these sweet treats are favored by most individuals. However, keep in mind that some citrus, mainly oranges and grapefruits, are large in size and heavy in weight. If you plan on adding many of these juicy delights, ensure your basket is of the appropriate size to handle the fruit.

• Pineapples: Usually, the thought of fruit baskets and pineapples go hand in hand, as these elaborate fruits add a tremendous punch to the baskets appearance. Before you throw in a pineapple “just because,” consider also purchasing a pineapple cutting, a small, inexpensive device that will allow your guest to enjoy the delicious meat of the fruit.

• Grapes and Berries: More delicate fruit, including grapes and berries, should be added judiciously. Since these fruits generally do not ship well, you should reconsider adding these fruits to baskets going great distances. In addition to their fragility, these fruits do not have a long shelf life, meaning they can potentially be spoiled upon arrival of the gift.

• Unique Fruits: Depending on the type of basket you are assembling, you may decide to include unique fruits. Usually tropical in nature, consider adding kiwi, star fruit, plantains, and even coconuts if the recipient will enjoy this more unusual fare.

Transform your backyard into a taco garden as a fun family activity

Many parents across the country are looking for ways to get their children to eat better, get outdoors and be more active. Gardening is a great solution-especially when you grow something kids love like a veggie taco garden.

When growing a garden with children, it's important to make sure the activity is an enjoyable experience or their attention will wander. According to Charlie Nardozzi, chief horticulturist for the National Gardening Association and Chief Gardening Officer consultant for Hilton Garden Inn®, there's no better way to make the garden exciting and meaningful for kids than to grow a familiar food.

Nardozzi knows firsthand how kids of all ages love digging in soil, and the important life lessons learned when planting, nurturing, harvesting and eating what you grow. Throughout the year, Nardozzi leads young students in gardening exercises through his hotel's Grow A School Garden program. Through the community outreach, hotel team members from the United States, Canada and Mexico work with local students to grow vegetables and herbs indoors in "Grow Labs" or outdoors on the school grounds.

"Gardening is a great way to encourage kids to spend time outdoors, learn about where food comes from and how to care for the environment and get some physical activity," says Nardozzi. "And it's a great way for families to come together over a common project and reap the rewards with a fun meal."

Nardozzi offers the following tips for growing a veggie taco garden at home or school:

• Give Kids Appropriate Tasks. Young toddlers can help plant seeds while older children can choose what to grow, plant the transplants, water plants, decorate the garden and help with the harvest.

• Grow What Kids Want. Make sure that each child gets to pick the vegetable or herb he/she wants to plant. This gives them a feeling of ownership over the activity. Some good vegetables to grow include tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, onions, cilantro and cucumbers.

• Decorate the Garden. Let kids have fun decorating the taco garden in their own unique way. They can make a veggie taco garden sign, Popsicle stick plant markers and kid-sized garden tunnels, teepees and banners.

• Plant in a Pot. If you don't have room for a garden, consider growing veggies in a container. Choose a large pot-a 20" diameter works best-and arrange the plants so the tallest plants such as tomatoes and peppers are in the center and the low-growing ones such as lettuce and cucumbers are along the edge.

• Plant Indoors. If you can't grow plants outdoors, consider setting up grow lights indoors to grow lettuce, Swiss chard, spinach, radishes and scallions.

• Harvest and Enjoy. In about two months, kids can harvest the vegetables and herbs. For a fun dinner idea, get the entire family together to enjoy your homegrown veggie tacos.

How to get cheap auto insurance

There is no secret that auto insurance prices are on the rise and have been that way for a good many years. There is something that makes us all cringe in response to paying for something that we may very well never use and at great expense to us. So we are all in search of the cheap auto insurance. This can be a game that takes a good long time to play but in the end it should be well worth it. Of course this is not something that will happen over night and there is several matters that go into the whole thing. Auto insurance is tricky business and the companies not only want to protect you, but also their bottom line in the end. So if you are in search of the cheap auto insurance then you should follow a few general rules.

The best way to get cheap auto insurance is to be a good driver. That is really a common fact that many people over look these days. Insurance companies reward those drivers that have had no accidents, and no tickets. Of course this may be easier said than done to be honest considering even accidents that are not your fault look bad on your record. The tickets thing is what really matters most. Just one ticket for speeding can raise your auto insurance rates by over thirty percent a year. So you can see that it is best to obey the traffic laws at all costs no matter what. This will give you the very best cheap auto insurance with most companies.

There is the matter of shopping around for cheap auto insurance as well. The one mistake that people often make is to think that the company they have been with since they were young is giving them the best rate. This is the farthest thing from the truth in all actuality. You will find that with the vast array of auto insurance companies that sprinkle the country side that the prices will vary greatly. Many times you can save hundreds of dollars in premiums by going with another company.

Finally, cheap auto insurance is given to those that have easily insurable cars. This is no secret, but you should have a car that has a good safety rating with the insurance companies in order to maintain the best rates on the insurance. The auto insurance companies do not like those little sports cars that move at top speeds as they can be the ingredient for disaster and much expense.