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Self storage units may well be the solution you are seeking if you have sold your home and haven’t a new place. If foreclosure is imminent or you have married and don’t have a large enough place to use both his and her furnishings, this might save the day…a storage unit gives you the time you need to work things out!
Your husband is in the service and you have an opportunity to stay with parents or friends? Self storage makes it possible. Let that rented apartment go, keep your furniture in the storage center, and when your husband comes home, you can set up housekeeping again, with little additional financial strain.
Check out self storage units online to get an idea of what services are offered at self storage facilities. Be aware that there are items that aren’t safely or legally stored in self storage facilities. Flammable, toxic, or any other hazardous materials are not allowed. Perishable foods are a no-no; they spoil and attract pests that you won’t want in your belongings. You may not reside in a storage center.
Remove the clutter and indecision from your life by finding self storage facilities near you that offer services and prices you can afford. Go to Houston storage to locate the center that will make life easier for you now!
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If you are looking for a unique and elegant really special night out, Herbs & Rye is the place for you. I know I am always telling you to be careful with your money, and budget, budget, budget, but every once in a while you need to have a romantic evening with your loved one, and enjoy a taste of what used to be!
3713 West Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas, NV. (702) 982-8036
Hours 5 pm – 5 am on Friday, Saturday and Sunday
5 pm – 4 am on Monday through Thursday
Nectaly Mendoza – Owner
Fabian Badillo – Executive Chef
Gerado De La Torre – General Manager
Herbs & Rye, which opened in December of 2009, is located in what used to be The Venetian Restaurant. That wonderful “old Las Vegas” style Italian restaurant was were you went for traditional Italian food, good drinks and to meet friends late in the evening.
“I’ve dreamed of bringing this type of restaurant back to Sahara for years,” proud owner, Nectaly Mendoza informed me. His goal is to encourage other venues to come back to Sahara, giving the new generations a taste of the old Las Vegas. He is doing a wonderful job of it so far!
Walking in you will immediately get a feeling of déjà vu, as you take in the vintage chandeliers, red flocked wallpaper, and the high-backed leather banquettes. The large room is divided in half, with the ristorante to your left, and a large mixology bar ahead of you. The intention here is to become THE place to go, both for unique Italian cuisine and a late-night cocktail lounge specializing in authentic cocktails from the 1800s to the early 1900s.
You can expect the menus to change every few weeks, to better make use of produce that is fresh and in season. The drinks are made from scratch, which is entertaining to watch and sometimes requires guest participation. The ambiance is good, if not a bit too dim and has background music that is a bit too loud. But the waiters cheerfully provide a flashlight for easy reading of the rather extensive menu.
Executive chef Fabian Badillo serves rustic Italian cuisine with a Mediterranean flair and an element of surprise. A good example would be the Calamari Fritti, served with aioli. Expecting a spicy tang, I was surprised with a citrus tartness that I later learned was grapefruit. It was refreshingly delicious. If you enjoy the sharpness of gorgonzola, you must try the pork tenderloin, which is artfully encrusted in fig and gorgonzola. The Lasagna Bolognese with mushrooms and a Chianti meat sauce again shows Chef Badillo’s unique touch. Too full to order it, we were sorely tempted to try the cheesecake with its chocolate ganache.
When all is completed there will be live jazz and brass bands on Monday evenings, and a true, old-fashioned piano bar. Flat screen TVs will show the old mobster movies from the 30s and 40s, while the servers will wear flapper era costumes. If you want a taste of yesteryear, unique food, fabulous mixed drinks, and entertainment, Herbs & Rye is a must do!
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Technorati Tags: drink mixology, Italian cuisine, new restaurant
There are many different ways to make beautiful area rugs, and they come in many different shapes, sizes, and colors. They are either hand knotted or machine made, and they can be found using both natural and artificial fibers. Having shopped for and examined many of these beautiful rugs, before retiring from my interior design firm, I am aware of the confusion many people have when looking for an authentic Perisan carpet or other style Oriental rug. For the purpose of this article, let’s concentrate on what you need to know about hand knotted and woven rugs theat go under the category of “Persian.”
Almost all of the hand knotted and woven rugs are made from natural fibers; namely silk and wool. Wool is both luxurious and durable…if you take good care of a wool carpet it can last as long as you do.
Hand tufted, and hand woven area rugs are valuable, long-lasting, pricey, and, when properly maintained, can become collectibles. They can be laid on bare floors, over carpeting and on the wall. They come from many parts of the world, but mostly from the middle and far East.
Let us journey though some of these countries and see the differences. We will begin with what is perhaps the most commonly looked for of the hand-tufted rugs. Persian carpets, which are also known as Iranian carpets have been hand made for literally thousands of years, as far back as the fifth center BC. From one part of Iran (formerly called Persia) to the other, the techniques and patterns vary.
The “city rugs” include Isfahan Persian rugs, Kashan Persian rugs, and Joshaghan Persian rugs. You can identify them by the floral motifs, which may include flowers, buds, and leaves. The “tribal rugs” include Baluch, Kurds, and Heriz rugs. They most often have geometric designs. Don’t be fooled by imitations. A real Persian carpet is one that was hand-knotted in Persia. It will always have a border around the pattern. It may have more than one border, of varying thickness.
Turkoman rugs are woven in Afghanistan, Khorassan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The background color will be red to a reddish brown, geometric, with an gul (octagonal) motif of flowers. The guls are repeated in both small and large rows , and using mostly beige, white, blue and black .
Turkish rugs go as far back as the Persians do. There are four kinds of rugs, categorized by materials used. They are usually a combination of red and blue, though green is used for prayer rugs. Both silk and wool are used, as well as wool and cotton combinations.
Anatolian rugs and kilims are considered to be Turkish rugs as well. Kilims are often reversible, have no pile, and were commonly used in Turkish society. However, they were made by the nomads in Morocco, India, Pakistan, China, and Russia, as well as those in Turkey and Iran. There are some color differences. The Turkish kilims were usually in turquoise, gold and orange, while the Iranian ones are darker, with heavy greens and blues, rust and burgundy. The kilims were used most often as prayer rugs and window and door coverings. You will never find two kilims that are exactly the same.
Moroccan carpets can be flatwoven or hand knotted rugs. They are always boldly colored, but have endless pattern variations. Every tribe had its own designs, mostly geometric. Moroccan carpets don’t have the history that these other hand tufted and woven rugs have. They originate in the nineteenth century.
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Technorati Tags: area rugs. authentic rugs, hand knotted, hand tufted, persian carpets, Persian rugs
You might want to check out this ebook on budget decorating . . .
Click here for more information.
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Times are bad. We all know it. It makes us dissatisfied with everything; our jobs, our homes, our families. But sometimes all you need is a small change…something different…that won’t break the bank, but will still give you something to smile about when you return from your job…or from looking for one.
When we can’t afford to go out a lot, our home becomes even more important. It needs to be a place where we can feel content, comfortable and secure. And what can help us do that better than a quick, inexpensive face-lift for our favorite rooms?
If you are walking into your family room and your eye sees only the stain in the carpet, or that damaged wall, stop right there. Yes, it would cost too much to repaint the room or replace the carpeting (or whatever else is on your floor). Enter the world of area rugs.
Area rugs can fix an awful lot of problems. Place one over that stain and turn that area into a conversation grouping. If it’s in the center of the room, use a larger one, leaving the older flooring as a border. If you use the room for more than one use, visually divide it with two area rugs, giving you your office or media area on one side and your family gathering or conversation area on the other.
Area rugs make great wall hangings. Not only do they cover damaged walls, but they also add warmth, absorb sound, and carry color themes up visually. If you are tired of that taupe sofa on that beige carpeting, why not add an area rug on the floor that brings in some vibrant earthtones, add a few throw pillows to the sofa in coordinating colors, and then add a wall-hung tapestry or area rug to that unsightly wall?
You have changed the whole look of the room, given yourself a new color scheme, and actually bought very little that was new into your room. Area rugs are perfect in children’s rooms, in front of drippy areas like sinks, showers, and tubs, as hall runners, and for added warmth when you set your feet down on that cold floor when you get out of bed.
Area rugs can be very pricey, depending on what kind you buy. Hand tufted, imported rugs from the middle east can be very expensive. Cotton, chenille, and synthetic rugs are much cheaper. However, there is a huge market for used and discontinued patterns. Estate sales, flea markets, consignment shops, thrift stores, garage sales, and, of course the web…Craig’s List, E bay, and countless other online sources all offer amazing prices that you will be able to afford.
So spice up that bedroom, bring new color and life to that family room, and love coming home again.
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Almost every child that enters high school in the United States has a cell phone. More than a third of the grade school kids carry them. Over eighty-two percent of all Americans own cell phones. The percentage would be higher, if it weren’t for the over sixty-five group, in which there are a large number of hold-outs. And one fifth of all US homes keep a cell phone with no land line at all.
For what reasons are people ridding themselves of land lines? They need to be plugged in day and night. Some feel they use more energy, but that is only true if you have backup batteries, or a cordless phone that needs recharging all the time. Land line phones are harder to recycle, but on the other hand, they do not wear out as fast, rarely break down, and you can keep them forever…unless you are looking for one that offers some new gimmick that your old phone hasn’t got.
For the most part, land line service, while it usually has a cheap base rate, charges extra for minutes used, long distance, call waiting, etc. and so forth. Most cell phone plans include more extras in the rates. While call for call they may be a bit cheaper, you have to factor in the original cost of the phone itself.
You will get a strong signal on a land line that is not affected by the weather, wind speeds, and the distance between towers. The number of users will not affect your ability to get through to your number. And reaching 911 in an emergency is far quicker and easier from your home phone.
While it makes sense, especially in these troubled economic times, to not pay for two telephone bills when you can make do with one mobile phone, there are other factors that are being ignored that most seriously need to be considered. What are cell phones doing to the environment, and how are they affecting your health?
Cell phones quickly become obsolete, and you are lucky if they last a couple of years. They are easily misplaced, lost, and stolen. Cell phone recycling centers may be fairly easy to find, but too few users bother to do so. Most cell phones become landfill.
These phones use toxic batteries that need frequent recharging. Most cell phone users leave their chargers plugged in all the time, draining our natural resources even when the phone itself is not on the charger. A land line uses no energy when it is not being used, making it a lot friendlier to the environment. Don’t forget that the cell phone provider is using energy all the time to route calls over the network and towers.
Coltan, which is a metal ore mined in Africa is used in cell phones capacitors. The competition for buying this product has led to civil wars, smuggling, and the destruction of national parks in the Congo and other parts of Africa. Forests are destroyed to enable mining of the ore, displacing both humans and the endangered gorillas by eliminating their food sources in their natural habitats. It also makes it easier for poachers to get to the gorillas, a major cause of the 90% drop in the gorilla population of the Congo.
There is a lot of worldwide debate going on regarding the possibility that cell phones are hazardous to your health. According to Mobile Telecommunications and Health, in a summary of the ECOLOG study for T-Mobile, 2000, it was found that the nervous systems of both humans and animals are affected by the magnetic fields emitted by cell phones.
In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, on August 24, 2009, Berenbaum noted that when cells removed from bees whose colonies and collapsed were studied, they were found to be full of fragments of ribosomal RNA. This indicated that genetic material was not being converted to functional proteins. It may be why the honey bee population is decreasing rapidly. The German research group, Verum, led by Franz Adlkofer offers cell phone usage as the reason for it.
Though cell phones are still too new to accurately determine the long lasting effects of radio frequencies beyond doubt, there is some evidence that it can alter brain activity, and cause cancer and reproductive disorders. According to the WebMD Health News, on October 23, 2006, a link was found between men who wore their cell phones on their belts or in a pants pocket and a weaker sperm quality and even infertility. There have even been suggestions that cell phone use is more dangerous than smoking.
Interestingly, there are many who uphold that cell phones impair reaction time and memory. They believe that laws prohibiting holding a cell phone while driving will not alleviate the problem, since the mobile phones that are hands free emit more than ten times the interference to your brain wave activity!
In a study that was reported by Dr. Mercola, on September 22, 2007, he stated that researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel found that changes in brain cells that led to cancer and cell division were triggered even by as few as five minutes on a cell phone.
As early as October 15, 1998, the BBC News reported that biologist Roger Coghill, believes that prolonged use of cell phones can cause fatigue, headache, dizziness, nausea, depression, and even arteriosclerosis. If calcium and serotonin levels are continuously disrupted by transmissions from a cell phone violence and even suicide can be the result.
Studies done all over the world showed a connection between increasing asthma related problems and deaths and heavy cell phone users. Heavy cell phone use triggers histamine production, which can cause bronchial spasms. Yes, more studies need to be done, but surely it is prudent to consider the implications.
Regarding land lines vs. cell phones, it would appear that, while cell phones are wonderfully convenient, and have all kinds of extra gadgets, bells and whistles, it would be prudent to only use them when you are out and to continue the practice of using your land line when you are home.
Sources:
“Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences”, August 24, 2009 (Berenbaum)
“Summary of the ECOLOG study for T-Mobile, 2000,” Mobile Telecommunications and Health
“WebMD Health News,” October 23, 2006
“Mercola.com,” September 22, 2007 (Dr. Mercola)
“BBC News,” October 15, 1998
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Technorati Tags: cell phones, Coltan, endangered gorillas, environmentally safe, mobile phones, toxic batteries
The fancy dinners out, gala extravaganzas, elegant dinner parties and theater dates may be out of your range this year. If you’ve been laid off or your house is being threatened with foreclosure, even a gay home party may seem impossible. You are making a big mistake, because it is in just times such as these that we need our friends the most.
A couple years ago, I was in a serious panic about my financial security, my retirement woes, and my seeming inability to do anything at all about them. I was afraid to spend any money at all, and frankly, was so down in the dumps that it would have been a total waste if I had gone partying. But my friends and I came up with a wonderful way to spend New Year’s Eve, that cost us very little, was amazingly entertaining, and is now a tradition that we look forward to doing for the rest of our lives.
Of course, we are in the last third of our lives, so we had no concerns about kiddies at home, or teenagers out at wild drinking parties, or even on the roads with drunks driving around. What we decided to do is have a pajama party.
Now, don’t get nasty, or laugh at us. Think about it. What are the disadvantages of going out on New Year’s Eve? Number one would be the huge expense, since all prices for dinners, shows, or hotel packages are usually greatly inflated for the holiday. And if you choose this form of entertainment you also need dressy clothing, accessories, a trip to the beauty shop, etc.
The second concern is drinking. At all of these events, it seems that drinking to excess is the major goal, which mean you will feel lousy, both during and after it is over. Driving in that condition is stupid and can be lethal, especially if you live in a cold climate where snow, sleet, and slush will further complicate things. And even if you aren’t drunk, there are plenty of them on the road. Of course, you can always have a designated driver, who has a really terrific time pretending it was worth the money to watch you get stinking drunk.
Even if you made it through a really nice evening, where both the food and the entertainment were good, you weren’t seated at a table with crashing boors, and you managed to sip your wine in moderation, you still have to take your aching feet and exhausted bodies home. This could include waiting in long lines to get a costly taxi, or, finding your car, warming it up, and possibly having to dig it out of the snow…and then facing the long drive home.
Actually, the hotel packages are a really good thing in this respect. It is far better to limp up to your room and snuggle into a warm bed at your hotel, sleep as late as you like, and have them serve your breakfast in your room. Pricey, but better than that long, cold drive home.
So quit snickering and listen up. What my friends and I do is simply this. In the late afternoon, they show up at my house with pillows, blankets, jammies, a change of clothes, snacks and games. Nobody is on the streets yet, so it is an easy drive. Everything gets dumped in the guest bedroom for the time being, food gets stored, and off we go for an inexpensive dinner BEFORE the streets are packed and they hike up the prices. Jeans and sweats are worn…this is all about comfort and convenience.
Upon arriving home, we figure out our nesting arrangements, which are somewhat simple in my home, since I have a guest bedroom, two sofa beds, another couch, and a cot. But if the party got bigger, I would simply tell them to bring sleeping bags. The champagne goes in the frig, snacks are laid out, and then we chat, play cards, dominos, catch phrase, trivial pursuit, or whatever we feel like doing, including television.
One of the most interesting aspects of this, is that we have, for years, joked about having trouble staying up until midnight to toast the new year. But last year, we were having such a comfortable, wonderful time that we were up until almost 4:00 am.
Once everyone is awake and hungry, we then make breakfast…usually pancakes or omelets, fruit, and whatever side meat someone contributes. By mid-afternoon we are usually ready to resume our daily lives. All of us agree that we wouldn’t change a thing for next year’s sleepover.
When I think of the ways I used to spend New Year’s Eve, I realize how empty and sad those parties were. People get drunk and loud, and spend most of their time pretending they are having fun. We have no “morning after” blues, hangovers, or fear of having spent too much. Bonding with old friends is far easier in small, more intimate surroundings. And if you don’t wake up in the morning with a headache and guilty feelings over your behavior or wasting money, it is truly a nice start to a better year.
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We all are being more careful about waste these days, and who doesn’t have to count their pennies? So let’s face it…the bigger the turkey, the less you pay per pound. The only problem is, if you easily tire of hot turkey sandwiches, cold turkey sandwiches, turkey and stuffing sandwiches, and turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce sandwiches, you need a few new ideas.
Turkey soup is made by lots of folks, though, I , for one don’t care for it. Still, it is fairly easy to make and really stretches your turkey dollar. Throw the carcass, skin, and leftover gravy into a pot of water, add salt and pepper, and cook it until the broth has soaked up most of the taste, Then strain it, because small turkey bones can ruin a pleasant bowl of soup!
Now add carrots, celery, onion, turkey meat, and some noodles to the broth and cook till tender. If it tastes a bit weak, add some chicken broth. You now have a meal that costs almost nothing. But maybe you don’t want anything to do with turkey for a while. Well, the holidays are here, and you will be doing some kind of entertaining for Christmas and New Years. So I suggest you take the turkey bits and pieces that are left over, and freeze them.
Someone invites you over for a pre-Christmas party. You need to bring an hor d’oeurve…oh my! Pull that turkey out of the freezer and throw it into the food processer with some onion. When it is finely chopped (but not a paste), put it in a bowl, and add a roux. You know, 3 tablespoons of butter and 5 of flour, sauteed until just starting to turn and then add a cup of milk. Heat till it thickens, and then add it to the turkey. Add a handful of bread or cornflake crumbs and season it with salt, pepper and garlic to taste. Refrigerate till cool.
Once it has set a bit, roll small balls of it and then coat them with more of your crumbs. Refrigerate another fifteen minutes, and then dip them in egg and reroll them in crumbs. Now you have two choices. Either deep fry them…they only take a couple minutes…or put them on a greased cookie sheet spray them with Pam, and bake them at 375 until golden brown. All you have to add is a dipping sauce or two!
Perhaps the girls are coming over to play bridge. Make a wonderful spread that doesn’t have either sour cream or cheese, for a change of pace. Take that turkey out of the freezer and put it in the food processer, this time with both onion and celery to taste. Add a dollop of Miracle Whip, salt, and pepper to it and process until spreadable. Serve it with crackers, melba toast, or party rye. This snack is particularly delicious with green grapes, so why not garnish your tray with a few bunches?
Have a truly happy and loving holiday season this year. You don’t need oodles of money to enjoy family and friends!
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It has been well established that green tea has many health benefits. It increases your energy, speeds up weight loss, bolsters up your immune system, and calms the nerves. It aids in preventing various cancers, helps to regulate your cholesterol by combating plaque in the arteries, and fights viruses like the flu.
When comparing the antioxidants and the flavanols in decaf versus regular green teas, these healthy components suffer a serious loss in the decaffeinated teas. There are still some left, and you would have to drink two or three times as much of the decaffeinated tea to pick up the antioxidants and flavanols again.
Before you make the decision to switch, consider some other pertinent factors. There are around eighty-five mgs of caffeine in your mug of fresh coffee, where green tea contains less than forty. Catechins (polyphenol antioxidants) are lost by decaffeination. Unless you have health problems that require eliminating caffeine from your diet, a reasonable amount caffeine is good for you. It makes you feel both more energetic and more alert. And caffeinated green tea contains more flavor, as well.
The two main processes used for decaffeination are ethyl acetate and carbon dioxide. Of the two, the carbon dioxide method is more desirable, as it retains more of the flavonols and antioxidants. The ethyl acetate method is used more frequently, though, and leaves a residue of solvent in the tea when decaffeination is completed. However, the level of solvent is considered safe for you to drink, and in fact, it does occur naturally in tea in very small amounts.
If you have made the decision to stay with regular green tea, there are a few things you can do to combat the effects of caffeine. For one thing, drinking it with food slows the absorption of the caffeine. The different varieties of green teas have different amounts of caffeine, and vastly different flavors. Some of the Japanese teas are lower in caffeine than the Chinese teas. Explore them!
It is also beneficial to brew your tea properly. The best tea to use is a loose leaf, fresh tea of good quality. Read the container for directions. It will surprise you to see that most teas do not suggest boiling water, but rather a very hot water, at about 170 degrees. Brewed correctly, several cups a day would not exceed the caffeine limits recommended by experts.
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All electric heaters convert electrical energy into heat, but their methods of doing so vary greatly. The convection method will warm the air in a room and then circulate it with a fan to warm the people and objects in there. They depend on the warm air rising to heat the higher elements in the room. The infrared radiant heater makes use of electromagnetic waves to warm the objects in a room, which then emit heat that warms the air. So now we will explore infrared radiant heaters vs. space heaters. Which is better?
Electric space heaters do a fine job of warming the entire area of a small closed room. The greatest warmth will be near the ceiling. These convection units come in all prices, shapes and sizes. They might have only a heating element, or they may also include a fan with several settings. They turn off automatically when the room reaches the temperature set by the unit or by you. They will go on again as the room cools.
The infrared radiant heaters do not heat the air in a room. They are composed of thin, flat plates, designed to cover a large area.. Wide, tall infrared heaters will generally do the best job. The long wave infrared radiation is not absorbed by the air. Rather, it hits something solid in the room (object or person) and changes the radiation into heat. So it stands to reason that radiant heaters are more efficient at quickly warming a person. The heater hasn’t got any moving parts, is silent, and cannot be affected by air movement. That makes it excellent for warming you in an outdoor situation. The infrared heater uses less energy and requires less repair.
Both types of heaters are safe to use, as long as you follow the directions of the manufacturer. Almost all of them have automatic shut-off in case of overheating or if the unit gets knocked over. No portable heater should ever be left on when nobody is home and using it. It is wise to check for the Underwriters Laboratories seal of approval when shopping for your heater. In fact, you should always do some research before you purchase, and read some of the comments made by people who own them, to find out the operating cost and dependability of each model you are considering.
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Technorati Tags: convection heaters, economical portable heaters, infrared heaters, infrared radiant heaters, space heaters
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