The new school year has begun for most folks. Whether you are glad or sad about seeing your kids head back to school, this just might be the best time of year for getting some important home projects started.
Tell us: What home projects are you planning now that the kids are back in school?
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David Neiman ArchitectsIf you want to put a new office into your home, you may not need to look any farther than the basement. A lower level can be the ideal spot for a home office, since it can offer the necessary quiet and separation from the rest of the home.
Could your basement be a great home office? Consider some tips from design professionals.
1. Assess the basement. "Make sure the area is suitable for furniture; business equipment, such as computers and fax machines; communication lines, such as phone and Internet; storage needs; and basics such as lighting and heating," says interior designer Charmean Neithart.
2. Don't forget an inspection. Neithart also advises having the space inspected for leaks. "Make necessary repairs or take waterproofing measures before any finishes are installed," she says.
Help: Find a general contractor in your area
3. Consider the noise. "Plan your basement space so that the office is at one end of the basement and noisy areas, such as playrooms or media
5 Baby Shower Games Older Kids Can EnjoyBaby showers are lots of fun and I bet one of the things loved by most are those baby shower games! It's fun to act silly as adults, all for the sake of the parents-to-be, isn't it? There are plenty of baby shower games out there, from the very innocent, to those that are probably best saved for adult-only baby showers. But, if you already have kids, and are having a second baby shower (or third, fourth, etc.), then more than likely your kids will be attending the baby shower with you. So, how can kids get in on the fun of baby shower games?
Including kids in the baby shower festivities is especially important for older siblings that are welcoming a new baby brother or sister to the family. As parents, I know that we want to involve our children in all aspects of a pregnancy and make them feel important. Making sure that siblings can play baby shower games is a great way to ensure they enjoy the fun of a baby shower!
Related: 5 ways to throw a budget-friendly baby shower
Here are a
Nature, art, textiles, and more: You might be surprised where these five interior pros find their most creative color ideas.
See more from CountryLiving.com:
9 Easy Ways to Refresh Your Country Kitchen »
10 Ways to Design a Colorful Bedroom »
70+ Living Room Design Ideas You'll Love »
Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.
Halloween (and Thanksgiving!) is just around the corner, and that only means one thing: pumpkin decorations! Be sure to pick a few more pumpkins this year because you're going to need it more than just for cooking. Take a look at these 7 festive ideas that will help you celebrate the season while creating a warm and inviting entrance for your home! - By Jennifer Hadfield
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It's back-to-school season, and for most college students, this means it's time to move back into the dorm room. Unfortunately, as much fun as it is to move into a new home away from home, most dorm rooms are tiny, impersonal spaces crammed with generic furniture. It can be tough to make it feel like home and it may seem impossible to make it pretty and personal. Often in a dorm room storage takes the place of style, but it doesn't have to be that way! Here are 12 ways to make your dorm room both beautiful and functional. - By Jan Halvarson
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15 genius storage solutions that double as home decor
Read More »from Dress Up Your Dorm! 12 Ways to Personalize Your College Digs
Even in the grandest houses, we're inevitably drawn to the smallest rooms: they're the coziest. In big rooms, guess where we head? To the coziest spots, the nooks and niches that are like rooms within rooms - their own intimate little worlds. Look around: There's bound to be an overlooked space in your house just waiting to be snuggled into. Here are ideas for creating and living happily in tiny spaces.
See more from HouseBeautiful.com:
10 Decorating Secrets Revealed
Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.
Read More »from 8 Ways to Create a Cozy Nook in Your Home
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Aries (March 21 - April 19)
Search your attic or garage, or go antiquing today. Try to find something that inspires you to create something new. Give some cast-off new permanence and purpose in your space. From old silverware to wind chimes, chipped china to a mosaic masterpiece, be open to inspiration. It will come. Today's Aries Reading: Free Sample Life Path Reading |
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Taurus (April 20 - May 20)
Your artistic flair is beaming. Get yourself some fresh seasonal fruits: juicy peaches, luscious raspberries, supple blackberries, velvety apricots, and provocative pears. Grab your paper or easel, pencils or paints, and conceive your interpretation of these tantalizing subjects, or make a fruit salad and savor each indulgent flavor. Today's Taurus Reading: Free Sample Maya-Aztec Reading |
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Gemini (May 21 - June 21)
You sometimes feel anxious, |
The know-how you need to finally make that nagging fix. Let's start with a couple of easy plumbing repairs.
thisoldhouse.com
1. Leaky or Runny Toilets
If you're going to make your own leaky or runny toilet repairs, you're going to have to learn the anatomy of the thing. For example, it's worth knowing that a refill tube replaces water in bowl after flush. If a toilet runs intermittently, check that the tube's end is above water level in the tank. Identify more parts in How to Fix a Leaky or Runny Toilet.
thisoldhouse.com2. Dripping Kitchen Faucet
"Most people will ignore a dripping faucet out of fear or ignorance," says TOH plumbing expert Richard Trethewey. If they deal with it at all, it's usually by cranking the handle so hard they risk tearing a rubber washer or cracking something and making the leak worse. If your kitchen faucet is a single-handled one like the one shown here, Richard will show you how to stop the drip in just 4 easy steps.
Got a different kind of faucet? See How to Repair a
The author's fridgeCertainly what is inside your refrigerator says a lot about your family. Crammed with junk? Sporting soy milk and Tofurkey? Neatly organized condiments or a jumble of bottles with their contents crustified around the spout?
Well it turns out that just as you can learn a lot about someone by sneaking a peek into their medicine cabinet (fungus cream?! what's this for?) you can learn just as much, or more, by their refrigerator. Not just the inside, but the outside too.
As the New York Times recently reported, a new book called Life at Home in the 21st Century is about what a bunch of researchers from UCLA found out after following 32 dual-income middle class American families with young children. The team ended up with more than 1,400 hours of videotaped interactions.
The book is about how we live in our homes, how we go about creating spaces within them including what they call the "material saturation" and how it all reflects the way we live our lives.
Related: 10 everyday household
