Five things before purchasing a house

Posted on Feb 24, 2016

One of the main purchases you are going to make is buying a house. You have to think through all of your options before making the decision. Here are some of the things you need to know before you buy a house:

1) It is essential that you have good credit. You will most likely obtain a loan to buy a house. Thus, you should ensure that your credit is good for a smooth sailing application. It would be better to check your credit history frequently for your own security as well.

2) Prepare for long-term debts. Keep in mind that it will take years before you will be able to pay for the house completely. Ensure that you will be able to manage payment for the mortgage. Having a financial cushion is significant. Since the debt is long-term, anything can occur.

3) Most loans need a document from the appraiser so it is better to get their opinion when you see a potential house. The appraisers are experts in giving values to properties depending on the location, structure, features, and added extras to the house. This will stop any sales representative from over pricing the house.

4) It is very attractive to buy a beautiful house at a very cheap price. Before you decide on purchasing the beautiful house, ensure that it has a safe environment. Take note that one of the factors that make a house costly is good location. If you think that the price is much cheaper than it looks, the locations may not be that attractive. Ask the appraiser why the value is low. It could be that the neighborhood is not safe. These factors are very important in your decision-making.

5) Make sure that the house you choose suits your lifestyle. No matter how beautiful the house is, if it does not coincide with your behavior, you will not be comfortable in it. When you choose a house, make sure that it makes you feel at ease.

Your financial state is most important when planning to a buy a house. This makes it essential to monitor your credit on a regular basis. Finally, you have to learn as much as you can about the home before purchasing it.

by: Sheldon Kalnitsky

http://www.articlecity.com/articles/home_improvement/article_3792.shtml

Tech shopping for your child? Consider the power of the pen in learning

Posted on Feb 17, 2016

Unlike early styluses that forced users’ hands into unnatural positions, these pens allow users to draw, write, highlight, annotate and more on their digital touchscreens in a natural manner – making the pens ideal for use in classrooms where youngsters are learning the mechanics of writing in tandem with other subjects. With pens, students can rest their wrists on the tablet surface, just as they would if using a notepad and ink pen or pencil.

“Employing pen technology in the classroom engages students in learning and allows educators to maximize the versatility and benefits of the technology they’re already using,” says Paige Johnson, K-12 education strategist for Intel Corporation. “Pens free both students and teachers, fostering creativity in children and allowing teachers to move more freely around the classroom to collaborate with students during class.”

The advantage of a pen is simple and easy to see. If you’ve ever hit the wrong buttons on your mobile device’s virtual keyboard and ended up with gibberish (and who hasn’t), you’ve experienced the limitations of fingertips: they can’t make as fine a point as a pen can. Pens give young students the flexibility to alternate between the broader strokes of their fingertips and a more precise interface, depending on which is appropriate for the task at hand.

Pioneering educators at Cincinnati Country Day School are using pen technology to virtually eliminate paper from the classroom and homework. The school was the first in the country to ensure every student had a computer. Today, all homework and assignments are done on hybrid PC/tablets, allowing students to write, annotate, highlight and draw with their digital pens. Integrating pen technology into the classroom has resulted in increased student engagement and collaboration at Cincinnati Country Day School.

Parents looking to maximize pen technology as part of students’ education can use it in numerous ways. As you shop for a device for your child, keep these benefits in mind:

* Pens foster more room for an interactive, creative and engaging learning experience for students, facilitating non-linear thinking at all age levels.

* Writing with a pen and paper is one of the first things young students learn. Digital pens reinforce handwriting lessons for younger students, allowing them to hold the pen in a natural way.

* Pens give students the flexibility to choose the best tool for the task at hand – whether it’s a pen, their fingers or the keyboard. The pen is a creativity tool. The keyboard is a productivity tool. Sometimes you need one, and sometimes you need both.

*Pens allow students in higher math and science classes to write out complex formulas and make diagrams more easily and quickly.

Another great resource for parents and teachers who are on the market for a new device is the K12 Blueprint, found online at www.k12blueprint.com. Sponsored by Intel Corporation, this website is a free resource for planning and implementing technology initiatives in districts. You’ll find useful information, including practical guidelines, funding advice, curriculum considerations and real-world success stories.

“For a while, it seemed as if styluses – and possibly even handwriting itself – would become obsolete as touchscreen capabilities opened up new horizons in computing,” Johnson says. “New pen technology is proving that won’t be the case. As parents shop for technology for their children, they should keep in mind that in the classroom, the pen can be just as mighty as the fingertip.”

Tips and tricks for your next soiree

Posted on Feb 17, 2016

Try some of the tips and tricks at a new Paramount Citrus website dailysqueeze.com to guarantee your gathering will be a blockbuster to remember.

* Get your grill on: Now is the time to tune up the grill. Creative grilling starts before your meat and veggies hit the heat, and a splash of citrus flavor is just what they need to stand out among the crowd. Find ways to add an extra kick of flavor to any barbecue dish at dailysqueeze.com. Add the tang of freshly squeezed lemon juice to chicken marinades and the kick of lime zest to spicy dry rubs for steak and chops.

* Shake up some cocktails: Grab a variety of spirits with a few favorite mixers. Place them in a designated area of the room along with lemons and limes for garnishes. This will take the burden off you to feel required to replenish your guests’ drinks and let you enjoy your party. If you’re looking for that perfect refreshment and a signature drink for your party, try making this simple yet delicious lime cooler from Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger of Los Angeles’ acclaimed Border Grill.

Minty Lime Cooler

Makes 2 servings

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice from a Paramount Citrus lime
 1/3 cup sugar
 1/2 cup packed mint leaves
 1 (12 ounce) bottle cold sparkling water
 lime slices and mint sprigs for garnish

Combine the lime juice, sugar and mint in a blender. Puree until smooth. Fill two tall glasses half-full with ice cubes. Pour half of the lime juice concentrate in each. Top with sparkling water, garnish with lime and mint and serve.

For a Mojito, adults can pour 1 ounce white rum into tall glass with ice, and top with Minty Lime Cooler.

* Choose a theme: Everyone loves a good party theme. Pick a food theme like southern barbecue or Mexican. Ambiance is also key, since it will set the tone of any party. Invest in some fun patio lights, lanterns or tiki torches to place around your yard if you plan to utilize your outside space.

* Don’t forget the kids: If you know children will attend your party, have kid-friendly items ready for them to play with such as chalk or bubbles. Better yet, rent a bounce house. The kids are sure to entertain themselves for hours while parents can take a break and enjoy the party.

With these tips, your soiree will be the talk of your neighborhood, and your friends will be sure to request an encore performance next year.

Be sure to visit www.dailysqueeze.com for additional recipes.

Kitchen remodeling 101: Making the space your own

Posted on Feb 10, 2016

Here are five creative, thrifty and helpful tips from Summer Baltzer, interior designer and former host of HGTV’s Design on a Dime, to send you well on your way to a kitchen design that not only looks great in the long term, but also reflects you.

Tip one: Know your style.

Design your kitchen around colors and objects that make you feel great. This is the room you probably spend most of your time in whether you’re cooking, entertaining or just doing homework with the kids. Loving the look is important. Make your design meaningful and something you’ll want to see every day. Look for inspiration from a pottery collection, a piece of artwork, or even the food you love.

Tip two: Get creative on a budget.

A great way to save money is to repurpose found items for your accents where you can. Frame pictures from favorite recipes, use inexpensive flower pots or mason jars to store utensils and cutlery, repurpose an old console table as a center island. You might even want to spray-paint the old dining table and give it a new life. Look for salvaged floors, pallets or pottery to create new furniture pieces or accents. This approach not only saves you money, but also makes your kitchen enviably unique.

Tip three: Develop your vision.

Keep your ideas on track by collecting loose drawings; they can become your own personal design board. They don’t have to be professional or even exactly like the finished product – just enough to make your point and start to envision what the finished product will look like. Seeing your ideas come together before taking a sledgehammer to your old tile not only gets you excited about your project, but can also save you from making design decisions that don’t fit your vision. If you’re hiring a professional, plans for the kitchen should be included in the cost. Make sure that they fit your vision and that you’re getting everything you need from your new space before demo and installation begin.

Tip four: Create timeless beauty.

When focusing on your large installed items, don’t just concentrate on what’s popular now. Instead, take a look at the items that have been relevant for more than a decade. If you’re designing a kitchen for a home you plan on living in for the next 20 years, by all means, go crazy and embrace colors and patterns that make you happy. But if you don’t plan on staying there forever, give yourself room to grow. Look to classic color combinations like white, black or gray cabinets; stone countertops with white or walnut cabinets; or butcher block with just about any cabinet color you can imagine. Wilsonart’s Calcutta Marble and new Old Mill Oak and Truss Maple are affordable laminate options that look real but are made from recycled wood fibers. They have finishes that withstand daily wear and tear, and are a fraction of the cost of traditional stone countertops. Look to lasting styles and materials, rather than what’s simply trendy at the moment, to create a timelessly beautiful kitchen. Learn more at www.wilsonart.com.

Tip five: Start with simplicity.

Keep the lines of your installed, more permanent items clean and simple. To add style and versatility, get creative with your accents. For instance, try going Shaker with your cabinets. Traditional cup pull handles will move them in a more classic and traditional direction and linear pull handles will take you down a modern road. By keeping your appliances and more permanent items simple, and using your accents to create a sense of style, you’ll open up tons of design doors for yourself, creating a kitchen that transitions easily, keeps up with your style and has staying power.

With this timeless know-how and creative inspiration, you’re ready to create a kitchen you’ll love both now and a decade down the road.

A fun approach to teaching kids nutrition wisdom

Posted on Feb 3, 2016

“The more parents can do to involve children in the process, the decisions on what they are eating and where their food comes from, the better off they will be at helping them learn reverence and appreciation for food,” says Anni Daulter, professional cook, nutrition expert, and author of several books, including “The Organic Family Cookbook.”

Here are some simple yet effective tips from Daulter to get your kids excited about nutrition and help them make good food choices:

1. Make mealtime special

“In our fast-paced lives, we have somehow lost the concept that eating is not just about the actual food. It’s about the connection, the time spent enjoying every bite, laughing, talking and sharing. Our families need this time together,” Daulter says.

Create a routine. Consider starting dinner at a similar time each night. Designate different nights for different types of meals, such as vegetarian Monday, or make-your-own pizza Saturdays. Have children help with the meal prep and cleanup, if age-appropriate. Light a candle during dinner, and allocate plenty of time for conversation – it’s one of the best ways to bond with loved ones.

2. Adopt a healthy morning routine

While most families are time-crunched on weekday mornings, it’s important to make time for breakfast so kids get the nutrition they need before heading to school. Healthy breakfasts incorporate whole grains, protein, fresh fruit, and supplements that support brain and body health.

“Supplements can be an easy way for mom and dad to ensure that their children get the important nutrients they need, especially during busy mornings,” says Daulter. “I recommend giving kids a boost of brain-building nutrition with a kid-friendly omega-3 supplement. I like chewable, strawberry-flavored Nordic Naturals Children’s DHA. This essential nutrient is brain food, proven to support brain growth and health. Additionally, omega-3s support a healthy immune and nervous system, too.”

3. Create tasty school lunches

“When your children are fed better, they learn better,” says Daulter. “Their bodies react to being fed good pure foods that give them the fuel they need to get through each and every school day.”

Save time by making lunches the night before or do a big Sunday cut-and-chop day for raw ingredients throughout the week. Here is a sample of what you’ll find in Daulter’s children’s lunch baskets:

Black Bean Soup Lunch
 * Classic Caesar salad
 * Homemade wheat parmesan chips
 * Raw: Asian pears and clementines

4. Have healthy snacks on hand

“Kids bodies tend to be more in tune with their internal signals and they inherently seem to know that they need more little meals throughout the day, rather than three big meals,” Daulter says. “Eating smaller portions frequently throughout the day provides more energy when we need it and is easier for our bodies to digest.”

Daulter keeps several small kids tables throughout the house so her children can nibble on snacks while they continue to play. What sorts of things does she like to feed her kids for snacks? Nuts, homemade fruit roll-ups, pumpkin seeds, veggie popcorn, fresh fruits, carrot sticks, and cheese are all healthful snacks that keep kids’ bellies full.

5. Teach healthy eating habits through activity

“My kids and their friends love to cook and help us prepare meals, and the more we include them in the process, the more invested they become in their own health,” says Daulter.

You may be surprised by how excited your children get by being involved in the entire meal process. When you go to the grocery store or farmers market, have children help pick out veggies. If you grow your own, let them pick the produce and help wash, peel and prep it for meals.

“Even the youngest child can help mix in flour for fresh bread or learn to whip her own honey butter,” says Daulter. “These tasty teachings will not only give them practical and valuable life skills, but will leave them with loving memories of family cooking days that were spent laughing, creating, and of course, eating!”