Interior is a wonderful way for every homeowner to demonstrate class to his guests. The same is valid for the kitchen. A stylish cooking corner says a lot about the family and proves its good taste for design. New trends come and go every year, and the news for 2014 are already here, as they have just been reported by Zillow Digs. Let's summarise the important ones.

Probably the most notable tendency is the takeover of darker colours. They are incorporated in overall interior design and in smaller details as well. Countertops in new kitchens tend to be in all-black or shades close to the black. This is often achieved with the use of quartz or granite as surface materials. On the flip side, a contemporary look can still be present if a bit of white is added - so that interior resembles a classic black-and-white colour scheme. A little marble would help here, and the concept of wood and steel combination is also acceptable. Dark colours invade not only the cooking counters - they gain popularity as a winning decision when painting the walls.

The second trend affects the shelves and cabinets in the dream kitchen of 2014. And the desired result here is... show off! Nowadays, the cooking area is a place where we can find many high-end designer works (from cookware to blood red fridges), so why not display what we own to everybody? Everything gets exposed with help of open shelves and doorless cabinets. This tendency somehow supports the design line of luxury in home kitchen. If the cabinets will have doors anyway, they would rather be made of glass or another see-through material to fit the idea of interior transparency.

But every kitchen has its little secrets. In contrast to previous trend, there are still items we would like to hide. This is where hidden storages come in the game. Covered vertical drawers are seamlessly built around countertops and corners, so that nobody can realise what they actually are. Shapes can be quite fancy, but colours remain anywhere between dark and black. Kitchen cleaners state that this particular trend would let homeowners spend much less time cleaning the kitchen.

The last significant innovation for 2014 is a dining table placed right next to the counter as its extension. This saves serving time and interior space at the same moment. This kind of integrated table is suitable for smaller homes, but could also be included in a larger cooking corner with some tweaks.

Did you know that swimming pools can be custom built to meet unique expectations in terms of aesthetics and functionality? The typical rectangular or oval-shaped installation would be enjoyable to use, but why settle for something traditional when you can have something extraordinary? Using the latest 3D design software, a contractor can show you exactly what your dream installation will look like before ground is even broken in your backyard. Not only will this give you peace of mind regarding your investment, but this will also give you the chance to landscape and furnish the rest of your outdoor spaces accordingly.
Do you have some very specific ideas when it comes to swimming pools? If you can imagine it, your contractor will more than likely be able to make it come to fruition. For instance, let's say you want to incorporate imported tiles into the deck construction and add a slide feature onto the side of the installation. That should not be a problem. Perhaps you would like to have a whirlpool or a separate wading area for your kids to use. Just let the building team members know what you have in mind. They will be able to tell you if what you are imagining is feasible.



Perhaps you would like to speak to someone about financing options before you move forward with any definite construction plans. Most companies that build swimming pools already have a relationship with a reputable lending agency in the area. A representative from this type of firm can sit down with you, answer any questions you might have, and go over all of the terms and conditions involved with committing to a loan. Then, you can choose to fill out a loan application if you find the terms and interest rates agreeable. Most homeowners find out whether they are approved almost instantaneously. After that, it only takes about a week to receive the funds. Most people borrow a few thousand dollars, but it is usually possible to ask for even more if you need help taking care of all of the costs associated with plumbing, fixtures, sanitation, and the like.

There is no time like the present to surprise your family members with a swimming pool. The construction will add to the overall value to your property. Plus, your loved ones will be able to enjoy many hours of exercise and fun in the sun while splashing around in the pool

• First - they're non-toxic, Eco-friendly, pet friendly and not harmful to your health.


• Second - cheap.

1. Fill a bucket with a gallon of water, then add a cup of chlorine bleach. Note that chlorine bleach can discolour some types of tile grout, so use it with care. Let the mixture sit on the grout for about 10 minutes before rinsing.


2. Full-strength vinegar works well on most types of grout. Let the vinegar set for about half an hour before rinsing.


3. Pour hydrogen peroxide in a container with water in ratio 1:2 and apply on the grout. Wait for about 10 minutes before wiping it off.


4. Wipe the tiles with a damp cloth and then sprinkle baking soda onto the grout. You can also apply the baking soda as a paste by mixing it with water. Let the baking soda sit undisturbed for a few minutes then scrub it over the tile grout. Instead of water, you can use vinegar or hydrogen peroxide to make the cleaning paste.

1. Use a stack of paper towels to soak as much ink as possible by blotting repeatedly.


2. Mix a teaspoon of borax, a tablespoon of milk, a teaspoon of lemon juice and a tablespoon of white vinegar in a bowl.


3. Use a paintbrush to apply the ink remover to the entire stain, then let the solution soak into the fabric for about 5 minutes.


4. Blot the stain with a sponge, until it is gone.

1. Mix a cup of baking soda with enough vinegar to create a thick paste.


2. Apply the paste to any area that needs cleaning and rub it over the surface using a damp sponge. Let the cleaner sit for a few minutes before wiping it off with a damp cloth.

1. Fill a bucket with water, add four teaspoons of no-suds laundry detergent powder and stir the mixture until the detergent is completely dissolved.


2. Add two teaspoons of baking soda and a tablespoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice. Make sure there is no seeds into the lemon juice, as it can clog and damage your steam machine.


3. Mix well and pour the mixture into the steam cleaner's reservoir.


4. Clean the carpet per sections starting from the far end of the room and working towards the doorway, as advised by professional cleaners.

1. Mix half a cup of white vinegar, half a cup of ammonia, a quarter cup of baking soda and half a gallon of water into a spray bottle.


2. For grease stains, mix vinegar, baking soda and ammonia in a gallon container with a lid and shake. Fill up the rest with hot water.


3. Wood walls require mild solutions, because they can easily get damaged. A mixture of two tablespoons of white vinegar and a quarter cup of water works well. After wash, dry with a soft cloth.


4. Remove mould and mildew from walls with a mixture of a teaspoon of borax, three tablespoons of white vinegar and two cups of hot water. Pour the ingredients into a spray bottle, shake and spray the affected areas.

Even the most experienced cooks at times end up making some grave mistakes when cooking. As a result, this write-up is a must read for everyone who wants to remain flawless when cooking. Here, we have discussed about mistakes that you must never commit when preparing food.

Mistake #1: Not reading the recipe properly

When it comes to preparing a new dish, reading the recipe is a must both for people cooking for the first time and experienced cooks. Reading the recipe thoroughly will give you the opportunity of familiarizing yourself with the process of preparing the dish before you start cooking. If you remember the recipe by heart, you will never commit mistakes like adding spices in wrong order or using an ingredient not mentioned in the recipe. The possibility of leaving something out will also be less. The other advantage of thoroughly studying the recipe is that it will not let you forget buying the necessary ingredients from retail shopping stores.

Mistake #2: Not washing the vegetables

Most of us wash the fish and meat carefully before cooking, but forget to clean the items purchased from the vegetable store. This is definitely not the way to go. Before initiating the cooking procedure, one should wash all the vegetables he/she will need using lukewarm water.

Mistake #3: Using a Cold Pan

You cannot expect to prepare a perfect dish without preheating the pan. Most of us never forget to preheat the oven when roasting meat or baking cakes. However, remembering the same rule often becomes difficult for us during stovetop cooking. If you add ingredients like chicken, vegetables, mushrooms etc. to a pan before heating it up, sautéing the ingredients will make them tough and soggy. So, unless the recipe tells you to do something else, you should always heat up the pan and also the oil (if the recipe requires use of oil) in it before adding any ingredient. However, make sure that you are not overheating the pan. An excessively hot pan can cause fire, a situation that you will always want to avoid.

Mistake #4: Stirring too much

One of the main steps of the majority of the cooking procedures is stirring. There are many dishes that cannot be prepared without stirring. However, you must keep in mind that different dishes require different levels of stirring. Often it has been found that continuous stirring, flipping and re-flipping instead of making a dish perfect ends up spoiling it gruesomely.

Remember, if preparing a particular food item requires continuous stirring, the recipe will surely indicate the same. Ideally, instead of stirring the items in the pan continuously, you should keep a close eye on them. Use the stirring tool (a wooden spoon or a spatula) only after adding new spices to the pan; gentle stirring is essential to ensure that all the newly added items mix well with each other as well as with the ingredients that were already in the pan.

The home sale process is a marathon with complicated small steps and a lot of work, so what is the single greatest pitfall that home owners make when they list their home on the local market?

                                                                                   


Selling Price To High

You may have guessed this as the answer with the prevalence of articles on the subject. However, countless sellers continue to make this mistake, and it is an important one to avoid when you want a fast home sale.


How Do Sellers Fall Into This Trap?

It is the easiest trap to fall into because of the potential reward if it was to sell for the number you want. Perhaps you are thinking about everything you could do with the extra money you will make from listing your home at a higher price like buying a bigger house, or a second house. When you first go to list your house do not let yourself get caught up in the excitement of the sale and price your house out of the market.

What happens when a home is priced too high?

The greatest amount of traffic and media attention of a home begins the first few weeks that a house is listed on the market. As a recent arrival, agents and home buyers alike will flock to the MLS listing, the online resources, and to the door to take a look at what your home specifically has to offer and whether it is a good fit to prospective home buyers. Setting the price too high basically cuts off a portion of buyers who would otherwise be interested in the property because one glance at the price and they will move on. Many buyers will not waste their time looking at homes that are out of their budget range, and why would they purchase your home when there may be a home that is quite similar to yours being sold at a more affordable price just down the street?

After a certain amount of time on the market, a house will lose its selling momentum and new incentives must be added on in order to generate more traffic. Most of the time, this will mean the price will be readjusted to something that is more fitting to the market value or even undervalued because the home has been on the market for months, even a year or so. For such a long interval, sellers are often exhausted by the sale process and the length of the sale has eaten away at the profits they could have earned if the sale was priced correctly in the first place.

How To Set A Price

In the end the only two parties that set the price is the buyer and seller. The buyer will want to get the lowest price and the seller will want to get the most money possible for their house. With these two forces at work the price of the home will end up near the true market value of the house for the current market. This is what really determines that local market value of the home not what the agents or appraisers think. Remember the price that they give you is just their estimate and does not always reflect what the house is really worth, that value is only determined when you actually sell the house.

How to price a home accurately

No matter whether you are using a Realtor or you are selling your home privately, do your research. Look at comparable homes in your neighborhood and their sold prices within the past 3 months. Go to open houses and track their sales effort. Interview multiple real estate agents so you are able to pick a local, experienced one to handle your sale. If you are unsure, it is always better to set your sales price too low and have multiple offers that bring up the price than to set the price too high and have no offers.

Tips always help getting something at an easy pace and definitely correctly too. When it comes to carpet cleaning, you need some effective tips that will allow you protect your carpet and remove stains, dust and other dirt otherwise which make you irritated.

Of course, you use carpet, rugs and upholstery to increase beauty, safety, and comfort in your home. For that, buying these costly things is not enough and you require maintaining them well as because, if you are reluctant to clean, maintain and place them properly, you will get opposite result. Let us get some easy to use tips that can keep your carpet always clean, safe and intact for longer time.

Use Entrance Mat:

A good entrance mat protects carpet from getting dirty soon. The important point to remember is you should get a good quality and a long entrance mat so that it can clean shoes and keep the soils off. In addition, you will need to clean the entrance mat regularly.

Stain Removal Tips:

Stains are the common problems as no matter how careful you are your carpet will get it somehow. When you try removing stains, avoid rubbing roughly and carelessly as it can make the stain permanent on the carpet as well as weaken the fabric. You can do one thing i.e., when you see a fresh stain, you can immediately cover it with a thick cloth and keep something heavy on it for sometime so that the stain get absorbed by the cloth. It will reduce your effort. If the stain is not fresh, you can apply lukewarm water and then place the cloth on it. To dry it, avoid using hair dryer or ironing.

Steam Clean:

Steam clean is a proven method for proper cleaning. If you can do it your own, it is better but if you want professional carpet cleaners for steam cleaning, you can just search for the best carpet cleaning NY on Internet. Within a few seconds, you will get many services in front of you. Select the best by checking their quality as well as if they use a deep cleaning machine or not. You can go for steam cleaning yearly or half yearly.

Mildest Cleaning Products:

When it comes to cleaning products, you must use the mildest, as harsh product will reduce the life of your carpet. If stains look deep and permanent, only then go for harsh product, but you must go through its labels well and must maintain the procedure as directed.

Well, when you call any services for carpet, upholstery or couch cleaning, you can ask to maintain these tips for better cleanliness and long life. In New York, City Steamers has provided best carpets, upholstery, furniture and rugs cleaning services for years.

When you think about vodka you think about just hanging out with friends and having a great time. It is the time when people get together to share well times and create new memories. This is flavored drinks and cocktail hour.

Different Types of Vodka :

Drinking vodka means that you have choices and options to the type that you are going to have. There are
Russian vodkas, neutral vodka, flavored vodka and regional touch. With all of the brands of vodka that you have to choose from you may want to try them all to find a favorite. This can be especially tricky when you start looking at the vodka flavors that you have to choose from. The best vodka type is going to depend upon your taste. One that you may like to try is vodka red. The red vodka brands are special all on their own.

Popular Brands to Try :

Perhaps you have seen brands other than Absolut when it comes to vodka but you may be undecided on trying something new. You can look at a vodka review to get an idea of which ones you may want to try so you can get an idea of what else is out there. A few are SKYY, Smirnoff and White Diamond. All great choices but, you are going to find that Absolut will rank number one and a little lower on the list is Stolichnaya. Again, good vodka does not need to be expensive as they are all a distilled drink.

Prices of Vodka :

When you start to look at vodka prices you are going to notice that they can go from very cheap to very expensive. A vodka bottle can go from $20 or less (depending on the size and brand) to $60 and over. If you are looking to try something new you may want to check out a review to an idea on one that is expensive. That way you can make a decision on whether or not you want to even give it a chance.

Popular Vodka Drinks :

Even if you do not like the taste of vodka on its own, you may like many of the mixed drinks that it is made with. It is even possible that you have a favorite and did not even know that vodka was in it. There are many vodka cocktails such as the salty dog, sex on the beach, screwdriver and even black Russian. Perhaps you have found your own vodka recipes that you like to create. These are a few of the more popular drinks that have people coming back for more. If you are worried about the calories in vodka than know that there are 64 to a shot and 69 in the flavored. Vodka mixes and vodka mixed drinks are going to be the ones that have the most calories in them.

Few Facts : 

In the early 1800's, vodka made its appearance and it did not take long before it became a household name. The brand of Absolut has its very own Hollywood Star and they support different functions and national sponsorship. Although they advertise drinking they are also about supporting the community and promoting safe drinking.

Give your vinegar cleaning solution a whole new twist .  Try making orange vinegar cleaner.

Orange Vinegar CleanerCleaning with orange vinegar adds the power of orange oil to your cleanser. It also alters the smell so instead of getting a hearty whiff of vinegar when you clean, you get a vinegar combination. Some people love this. Others think it’s . . . well, a weird citrus thing.
But, weird is fun, so give this recipe for orange vinegar cleanser a try.  As far as homemade cleaning products , making orange vinegar cleaner is so much easy.

How to make vinegar cleaning cleanser in 5 steps

Step 1: Save your orange peels and pith (that white part ) in a mason jar.

Step 2: Cover the peels with undiluted white vinegar. (Why do they call it white? It’s clear like water!)

Step 3: Cover and label with “Do not eat!” (That last part may only be necessary when children are near.)

Step 4: After two weeks, strain out the peels and store the now-orange vinegar in a mason jar or other container.

Step 5: To clean with the vinegar, use it full strength or dilute it with more water, either 50/50 or one part vinegar to three parts water in a spray bottle. The concentration depends on your intended use.

Ingredients:

8-10 potatoes
½ onion minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon thyme
4 tablespoons butter
2-4 tablespoons arrowroot powder (or the thickener of your choice)
4 cups milk

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Peel the taters and slice them to a relatively uniform ⅛ inch. Spread them in a 9X13 pan. (Don’t be picky!)

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Saute the onions until they are translucent. Try not to eat too many just yet.

Add all the seasoning and your thickening agent of choice to the buttered onions. Whisk until smooth. (I usually get someone shorter than me to whisk. Pretend whisking is really fun and you’ll have plenty of volunteers. Eventually, they’ll wise up, though.)

Add the milk slowly to the saucepan, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. (Remember, milk can burn…and tends to do a volcanic eruption impression if overheated, so don’t go anywhere.)

Pour the mixture over the potatoes. Pop them in the oven at 350 for an hour. Not being one who wants to wait an hour for my taters, I boiled them for ten minutes before putting them in the oven, so they were done in half the time.

Notes:

For a little change in the routine, toss in some cooked bacon (cook it in the saucepan and use the drippings to saute the onion), cheese, broccoli, or all of the above.

These tips will help you reduce the amount of energy you pay for to run your air conditioner.
How?

 You'll use it less, and use electricity more efficiently.

5 Tips to save some money on electricity bill:

1. Adjust the thermostat

If you have central air controlled by a thermostat, use a programmable thermostat to save energy by increasing the heat significantly during the day when the house is empty. You can give up a couple degrees at night, too – especially on the hottest days. You may be surprised to find that the contrast between outdoor and indoor temperatures matters as much as the absolute temperature inside your home. When home, aim to set the temperature at 78 degrees to balance comfort with energy and cost savings. Together with winter energy savings, a programmable thermostat used properly can save the average home up to $150.

2. Clean the air filter

Whether you have central air or a room air conditioner, a dirty filter will reduce its efficiency, making it use more energy and cost more money to do the same job. Check your HVAC system's air filter monthly and expect to change the filter every three months.

3. Get an annual checkup

If you have central air, consider an annual checkup – once should cover both the heating and the cooling season. A professional should be able to diagnose any inefficiencies before you've wasted money on monthly heating and cooling bills.

4. Think small

Cooling one room with a window air conditioning unit requires much less energy (and investment) than a central air system. Ask yourself how you'll use your new air conditioner, and choose the smallest option that works. The government's Energy Star site has a handy guide to help you choose the right air conditioner for your space.

5. Buy Energy Star

Whether you're buying a central air conditioner (which could qualify for a tax credit) or a room unit, efficiency matters. An Energy Star central air system will use about 14% less energy than minimum government standards, and a room air conditioner will save at least 10%. Use the Energy Star Website before making a purchase, because while the vast majority of the 1,000-plus Energy Star window air conditioners barely meet the standards by using just 10% less energy than a standard model, some are clearly a better value.