Blog Posts by Networx.com

Should you decorate your workspace for the holidays?
By Linda Merrill, Hometalk

The holiday season is upon us and it's time once again for the annual tug-of-war over what's appropriate - if anything - when it comes to seasonal decorations in public spaces. With half of our waking hours spent working, it's not a surprise that many wish to liven up the daily office grind with some fun seasonal décor.

The problems generally arise when there are differing opinions on what is appropriate and whose holiday is being celebrated. In most cases, we have adopted an "all in" mentality - mixing Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa traditions, depending on the makeup of the office staff. In the best circumstances, this fosters a nice camaraderie between co-workers. In the worst, it can become a battle of personal expression vs. the rights of those who don't celebrate the season and prefer not to deal with it for half of their waking hours. Generally, it makes sense for a company to establish a written policy based on safety issues as well as the

By Chaya Kurtz, Hometalk

An action-packed story of heroism and miracles, candles burning on dark winter nights, and delicious oil-soaked spuds - Hanukkah is a holiday, in my book, that can't be beat. Accordingly (and I'm sure intuitively), designers are enjoying the potential of the traditional Hanukkah lamp. In honor of the 8 nights of Hanukkah, I chose 8 menorahs that could grace the windows of homes from Brooklyn brownstones to rustic cabins to sleek high rise condominiums to everything in-between. Let there be light!

The Jonathan Adler Relief Menorah

Jonathan Adler Relief Menorah: This one follows a traditional shape, but in modern ceramic. It's glazed in white, which would look really sharp paired with blue candles.

Vinegar is a great, green cleaner, but you can't use it for everything.
By Adam Verwymeren, Hometalk

Common household vinegar is one of those wonder products that people are always discovering new uses for. Whether you want to drive away dandruff, eradicate mildew, or keep bugs at bay, vinegar has been proposed as a solution to just about every problem under the sun.

But while it has a number of uses, vinegar isn't always the solution, and on occasion it can be downright dangerous. Here are the top 8 ways not to put this miracle substance to work in your home.

1. While vinegar is good at cleaning many things, you shouldn't confuse it with soap. Alkaline cleaners like dish detergent are ideally suited for lifting grease, whereas vinegar will have little effect on it. If you have a greasy cleaning job, reach for regular soap and leave the vinegar on the shelf.

2. You should never use vinegar on waxed surfaces. The vinegar will only strip the wax off, dulling the sheen on your nicely shined car. However, vinegar is a great option if you're

Old leather couch, hand-me-down lamp from grandma's estate, and a snapshot of the dog...that's preppy!

By Linda Merrill, Hometalk

I grew up in the very "preppy" town of Duxbury, Massachusetts. We were so preppy, in fact, that we got a mention in the 1980 Official Preppy Handbook. The thing I really came away with was that being a real "preppy" was something innate. There were those born to the preppy life who were never particularly comfortable there and others who became preppy and fit right in.

The preppy lifestyle is not just about fashion (although Nantucket red chinos, Top Siders without socks, and Polo shirts with upturned collars were certainly de rigueur), it's about a lifestyle. It has the patina of old money and country club tradition, but with a more colorful and casual exuberance. It's definitely not about age, as much of the clothing works for generations and certainly some truly Boston Brahmin preps keep their clothes for that long! True preppy style derives more from the windblown feeling that you've just pulled your skiff in after a bracing morning on the water

Deep frying is one way to cook a turkey, but not the safest way.
By Philip Schmidt, Hometalk

Benjamin Franklin was a big fan of the turkey, so much so that he nominated the humble bird to be our national symbol. I happen to be a very big fan of Benjamin Franklin, but I can't help wishing he had left us with just one more product of his scientific genius: A better way to cook a Thanksgiving turkey.

Let's face it, most turkey comes out drier than a powdered wig. The white meat literally crumbles, while the dark meat stays intact merely by the tenacity of its stringy fibers. This inherent and perhaps unavoidable aridness is, I believe, the true motivation behind the countless variations for preparing turkey. One has to wonder what our open-minded forefather would think of some of these.

1. Deep-fried

Dunking a whole turkey into a vat of boiling oil was all the rage a few years back but has since gone the way of the countertop espresso machine. You can find recipes for the process from numerous sources, including eatturkey.com. If you've

Dishes like vegetable pie are great vegetarian options for Thanksgiving.

By Cris Carl, Hometalk

Paul & Elizabeth's is a 31-year-old natural foods restaurant in Northampton, MA. Although Northampton is a bastion of good vegetarian and natural foods restaurants, Paul & Elizabeth's remains a perennial favorite of locals, and continues to be voted one of the best restaurants in the area by the readers of The Valley Advocate.

Paul & Elizabeth's has been a favorite of mine for 25 years, so when I got this assignment, I couldn't imagine a better place to get vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes from. Their food is fresh, clean and flavorful. I never miss meat when I'm eating there, and I love that it's a family-run business.

Nathan Sustick is the executive chef for Paul & Elizabeth's (and he's the son of the proprietors, Paul and Elizabeth Sustick). As I expected, he was full of ideas for an inspiring vegetarian Thanksgiving meal, cooked in your own kitchen. His most mouthwatering suggestions? Roasted Brussels sprouts, Indian pudding and a gravy flavored with

Thrift shopping is a green way to furnish your house. Learn tricks and tips.

By Sayward Rebhal, Hometalk

The truth is, I'm just a secondhand sort of girl. I like my objects to carry an air of mystery, to enter my life with a little life of their own. In my eyes, well-made clothing is straight-up art (you can read more about my fashion philosophy on my blog, Bonzai Aphrodite). A chip on a vintage dish is testament to good living! And like the finest of wines, craftsman-made furniture will only develop character and complexity as it ages. Quality items always wear their maturity well.

But I also see the other side. My husband is a bit of a "chaser" - he loves minimalism, hyper-modern design, and he's always after the latest technology. And I certainly understand the appeal of hunting the cutting edge!

When it comes to furnishing a frugal, eco-friendly home, success means knowing when to choose new versus used. So whether you're a squirrel like me - saving up and savoring - or a raccoon like my husband - always after the shiniest toy - it's

By Adam Verwymeren, Hometalk

Flu season is in full swing, which means many people will be desperately trying to flu-proof their homes to keep contagions at bay. While people will go to great lengths to keep from getting sick, many of the things we do to purge the home of germs are pure myth, and won't actually help. Here are some of the top flu-proofing myths debunked.

Myth 1: A cold, drafty home will cause you to catch cold or flu.

The truth is, there really isn't any correlation between cold and germs, and your body's immune system can handle winter's icy chill, the New York Times reported. Cold and flu season do peak during the winter months, but the correlation probably has more to do with the fact that people spend a lot more time indoors in the winter, making it easier for germs to jump from one person to another. While you can save a bunch of money on your energy bill by sealing up drafts and installing better insulation, unfortunately you won't be insulating