Tips To Help You Be a Responsible Dog Owner

June 6, 2015 by

“Cute Home Cute Dogs” by jennythip / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

When you make the decision to share your life and your home with a dog, you should make a firm commitment to become a responsible dog owner who makes quality pet care a top priority. Jobs such as making sure they are fed, (ensuring you always view websites like check your dog food to make sure it’s the right food), watered, given lots of love and time, are soon things that will become part of everyday life. This may include making some adjustments to your schedule and implementing safety measures in your home. There are also lots of ways to ensure your dog’s safety. For example, your pooch should have their own collar with a name tag. One of my friends just bought this gorgeous Faux Leather Dog Collar in Glacier Blue if you’re on the lookout for some dog collar fashion inspiration! Ultimately, being a responsible dog owner also includes finding a veterinarian and boarding facility that you have confidence in.

Reasons for needing to board your dog

You may not have boarding your dog on your mind when you first bring your new canine companion home. However, finding a boarding facility that you feel comfortable with should be one of the first steps you take as a new dog owner. If you have recently moved to a new area and already own a dog, finding a boarding kennel should be high on your priority list and it is important that you find quality dog kennels for your pets.

Many people think that vacation time or business travel are the only reasons they might need to board their dog. However, there are other situations that could arise that make it necessary for you to board your dog. Family related medical emergencies or personal illness could make it necessary for you to board your dog. For instance, my friend had a family emergency where she had to travel across the state to take care of her mother for a few weeks so she decided to arrange board for her French Bulldog Puppies.

Choosing a boarding kennel

When you’re exploring your choices of dog kennels in michigan, you want to look for specific qualities and features that the kennel offers. A boarding facility such as Paw Print Inn has state of the art features including a hospital-grade air filtration system, a security system and a central air vacuum system. They also offer numerous amenities to assure that your pet is comfortable and happy while staying there. The health and safety of your pet is their priority. Those are the type of features you want to look for when choosing a place to board your dog.

As a pet owner, you want to take the best care possible of your canine companion. Having a vet that you trust and a location for boarding your dog, should the need arise, are two of most responsible, stress-relieving steps a pet owner can take.

Filed Under: Handy Tips, House Matters

Top Ways to Improve Your Home’s Exterior Without Construction

June 4, 2015 by

During the summer months, you probably want to make sure that your home’s exterior looking great before hosting cookouts or simply enjoying your backyard. Fortunately, there are many things that you can do to improve your home without relying on costly and time consuming building projects. However, if you are interested in getting some professional help to sort out your home exteriors then you could check out someone like M&M Home Exteriors Alternately, if you’re looking on more of an commercial scale and you’re based in the States then you could try out Pressure Washing Spring for convenience. If you still just want to do it by yourself then here are the top four ways to improve your home’s exterior without construction.

Clean Your Exterior Walls

Over time, the walls of your house that are exposed to the elements can develop a green or black grime that is difficult to remove with water alone. This grime can create an ugly appearance that can make your home seem careless and untidy. By removing grime and dirt from exterior walls, you can make your home appear clean and inviting. Your exterior walls can be cleaned using a hard brush and water, but this is not an effective method of cleaning corners and other hard to reach places. By hiring a pressure washing company, you can clean your home’s exterior in a manner that is thorough.

Paint Your Exterior Walls

Once your walls are clean, you can coat them with a fresh coat of paint. This can allow you to create a theme for your home depending on the type of impression you would like to send. Avalanche Roofing is a great company to help with the exterior painting of your home, they can probably do it quicker and faster than just you alone. If you are going for a beach look, try painting your walls with a pastel color. If you prefer a more rustic look, you may wish to opt for natural colors such as sage green or an earthy brown. Whatever you go with, always consider the services of painting experts so that the job will be completed professionally and to a high standard – one that may not be achievable if tackled alone. Check out Lenny Martin painting contractor for such services if you’re in the Gresham area.

Stain Your Deck or Patio

The sun and precipitation can damage and discolor the wood and stone on your deck or patio. By using a good stain or restorer, you can protect your surfaces from any future damage and conceal existing damage. This is great for filling in cracks and hiding faded wood. Stains also come in a variety ranging from sandstone to indigo.

Tend to Your Gardens

Gardens can provide the finishing touches that your home needs to look outstanding. Planting colorful flowers such as roses, tulips, and morning glories can give your home a vibrant appearance that will capture the attention of many people who pass by. You should also be sure to replace your mulch once each year. This will keep your flower beds looking fresh and cut down on the presence of weeds.

Filed Under: Handy Tips, Home Improvement, House Matters

Cetaphil and Aveeno for Mama’s Sensitive Skin

May 27, 2015 by

Keratosis pilaris. Another -is to add to my long list. Contact dermatitis, perioral dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, hand osteoarthritis. Then there’s the occasional tamaditis and the seasonal neurosis.

With a long history of dermatitis and other allergies, I paid no special attention to the itchy rash that appeared on my back. I dismissed it as prickly heat which I was prone to suffer from during the hot days of summer. However, when a couple of months had passed without getting any relief or seeing any improvement, I finally decided to see my dermatologist.

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Keratosis Pilaris, Causes, Treatment

The rough patches were mostly on my back so I really could not see them properly. They would often feel itchy when the weather was hot which was why I thought they were prickly heat. But sometimes it was to do with hormonal itchy skin, which I only recently found out. Unlike prickly heat though, the small bumps were not reddish.

When my dermatologist examined the rash, she explained that I had a condition called “chicken skin” or keratosis pilaris. Although this is harmless and could be easily addressed with topical medication, it is, unfortunately, a condition I would have to deal with the rest of my life.

Keratosis pilaris is a common skin condition characterized by small hard bumps that are often light-colored, hence, the term chicken skin. They make your skin feel like sandpaper and may appear on your back, upper arms, thighs, buttocks, and face.

Chicken skin is formed when a buildup of keratin blocks the opening of a hair follicle. Those with dry skin are usually more likely to have keratosis pilaris. Those with atopic dermatitis (*raises hands*) are also prone to having this skin condition.

My dermatologist prescribed fluocinolone lotion to be applied to affected area twice a day for no more than 7 days. My skin showed significant improvement on the third day. On the 5th day, my skin was smooth and soft already.

photo skin care fluocinolone.jpg

Aside from fluocinolone, my dermatologist also told me to avoid using fabric conditioners on our clothes. She recommended that I shift to cleansers formulated for sensitive skin. She also stressed the importance of keeping my skin moisturized.

Skin Care for Mama’s Sensitive Skin

Even before going to the dermatologist, I had already tried Cetaphil Restoraderm and stopped using all other soaps at home. When I told her about this, she approved and said that it was a great choice and I should continue using it.

photo skin care restoraderm.jpg

Cetaphil Restoraderm(~845 pesos at Mercury Drug) is a skin restoring body wash that’s formulated for very dry itchy skin. It’s soap-free, hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, and is gentle enough even on baby’s skin. It contains Shea Butter (butyrospermum parkii butter) that moisturizes the skin.

Of course, it wasn’t enough to address my skin problems but I love how it moisturizes my skin so that I can do without lotion during the day when summer heat is at its warmest. At night, though, I make sure to slather on Aveeno Creamy Moisturizing Oil.

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Aveeno Active Naturals Creamy Moisturizing Oil (575.75 pesos at SM) is my current favorite! My kids love putting it on my arms and legs (makes me feel so pampered every single time!) and say it smells like Playdoh (which is probably why they love “playing” with it). My hubby loves it scent too. Most importantly, it relieves my itchy and dry skin. This Aveeno variant has skin-soothing natural colloidal oatmeal and skin moisturizing pure oat oil.

Since I fell in love with the moisturizing oil, I decided to try the Aveeno Active Naturals Moisturizing Bar (189.75 pesos at SM) too. This soap-free cleanser also contains natural colloidal oatmeal that gently cleanses and soothes dry skin. It leaves my skin moisturized so I can do without lotion in the morning. It’s fragrance-free but during the first couple of uses had a faint scent that reminded me of a grain store. It takes some getting used to if you love fragrant soaps. Aside from that faint scent of grain, I’m also loving this Aveeno. It costs less than a third of the price of Cetaphil Restoraderm which makes it more budget-friendly. The only downside would have to be its availability. Only select supermarkets and drugstores carry the Aveeno Active Naturals brand. I bought mine from SM Supermarket.

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I grew up with Cetaphil and have been loyal to the brand for years now but I must say that I’m really loving Aveeno Active Naturals. They will certainly now be part of my skincare regimen.

Filed Under: Beauty on A Budget, Health, Products We Love Tagged With: , ,

5 Things You Never Knew About Quilts

May 21, 2015 by

You might think a quilt is just that piece of fabric that keeps you warm during the colder winter months, but the history of quilting is long, varied, and extremely interesting. If you make your own quilts by following quilting patterns or if you are a big fan of handmade quilts, you might want to find out a little bit more about their history and how they are made. Here are five things you might have never known about quilts – feel free to share them with your friends!

“Pink Quilt” by debspoons / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Origin

Like many English words, “quilt” has a Latin etymological root. It is derived from the word ‘culcita’, which means “stuffed sack”, and is quite pertinent, when you consider the make-up of a quilt. The Chinese and the Egyptians were the first cultures to develop the practice of layering fabrics together to make a quilt. The oldest quilt in existence at the moment has been dated back to 980 B.C.

Largest Historical Quilt

The largest quilt in the world can be found in Antler in North Dakota, and was originally sewed to celebrate the centenary of North Dakota’s statehood. You can see every county in the state, each sewed on with a different colour. In 1988, volunteers from over fifty counties rallied together to contribute to this quilt which covers about 11,000 square feet. What a beautiful quilt that has been made, a tshirt quilt is also a product of creative quilt making, if you would like to find out more about a tshirt quilt then you can visit sites such as Memory Stitch to find out. A tshirt quilt may not be as big as the largest quilt in the world but they are still pretty impressive!

Most Popular Quilts

The most popular kinds of quilts are not the ones you can buy in a store. Surprisingly (or perhaps not), Amish quilts are considered the most popular around the world, and many people also have private collections. These quilts are extremely striking thanks to their use of colour and design, making them attractive to all sorts of people around the world.

Different Types

There are many different types of quilts available on the market, made from a variety of different materials. Wool quilts are slowly becoming more popular with the mainstream public, thanks to their versatility and ability to be used in all temperatures and climates. If you have been thinking of purchasing one, there is no time like the present – quilt specialists such as MiniJumbuk Online can help you choose the perfect fit for you. There are hundreds of different shapes and styles to choose from so don’t worry about not having enough choice. You might also want to buy a mattress topper to make the bed feel even comfier. If you’re not sure which brand to buy, Minijumbuk also sell a wide range of mattress toppers too!

Traditions

There are many different kinds of traditions associated with quilting, and these range from Western styles from America to more Eastern styles from India and Japan. The combination of all these traditions makes it fascinating to be a part of the quilting world, where no two handmade quilts are the same!

quilt 1

So there are five things that you might not have known about quilts! If you’re looking for a new hobby, maybe this is it – the possibilities are endless. If you’re not so keen, you can just snuggle in with your favourite quilt and enjoy the warmth it gives you on those cold winter nights.

How many of these facts did you already know? Do you love quilts and all things quilting? Do you have any other interesting facts about quilts to share with other budding enthusiasts? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Filed Under: Handy Tips, Home Improvement, House Matters Tagged With: , ,

Top Tips to Make Your Commercial Kitchen More Comfortable

May 20, 2015 by

Working in a commercial kitchen all day or night can be stressful, and if you do it or have done it, you know it can take its toll. However, that doesn’t mean that working in a commercial kitchen isn’t fun and worth it for many people, and a very rewarding placing to be.

As a business owner or manager, you can make your commercial kitchen more comfortable for your employees. For example, if your kitchen has leaks or running water and the floor gets wet frequently, then your employees may feel uncomfortable. But you can easily solve the problem by contacting any commercial restoration services near you, who can fix the damage. Likewise, if you take into consideration all the possible drawbacks in your kitchen and tackle them one by one the overall working environment might get sorted. Your food quality will improve, and you’ll likely have fewer mistakes. Follow these tips to improve your kitchen’s comfort.

Improve the Lighting

Lighting makes a huge difference in how any workplace feels and you’re probably already aware of that. However, in a commercial kitchen, you’ve got even more reasons to make sure the lighting is right.

First of all, when employees have better lighting they’ll be able to better see what they’re plating and serving customers. That can improve your quality control almost immediately.

Improved lighting will also decrease eye strain while improving safety. Not seeing well when working with a knife or dealing with hot items can be a serious problem and hazard.

Workstation Comfort

One of the biggest things in a commercial kitchen that you can improve is workstation comfort. From the preparation station to the grill area, comfort really does matter. You also need to ensure that all of the food equipment is working properly, so if you know that your meat saw is broken, you need to get it fixed as soon as possible. National Band Saw sells meat saw parts including meat saw blades and motors, so in this instance, you could contact them.

To improve comfort, try adding commercial kitchen mats that are comfortable to stand on for long periods of time. You can also add adjustable height prep stations for employees of different heights. With a comfortable workstation, you would be assured that employees will be working on their best. Something else you could consider is speaking to the person in charge about making things more efficient in the kitchen and cutting out jobs that could be made easier such as washing up. If staff members are stood around washing up throughout the day, of course they are going to start to get back ache. After speaking to many restaurants in the area, they have explained that a key reason for not investing time and money into things like a dishwasher is because they can become unreliable after so much usage. However after some research, I found there are plenty of dishwasher repair services all over the world such as Norris Dishwasher Service & Repairs Agents who would be handy to have on standby if anything did go wrong.

The conclusion I have come to is that you need to work together as a team to make the environment more enjoyable to be in. Unless you speak to the person in charge about things that can be changed, they will never change anything as they will never know about it.

Filed Under: Business Savvy Moms, Home Improvement
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