Mormon Life - Around the House

Decorating Dos and Don'ts

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:00:00 -0600

by Jamie Cline
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Obeying a few cardinal rules of decorating will prevent interior design disaster and give your home that show room look.

Admit it, you're addicted to those interior design shows where the designers do the incredible: take an unbelievably messy house and turn it into something fantastic, something you would see in a magazine. At the end of every miraculous transformation, you say to yourself, "Well, sure, they can do that - they've got the money, they've taken the classes, and they were born with a sense of style!"

But really, all designers do is follow a few simple rules. Heidi Tyline King, author of Design Ideas for Home Decorating and several other design books, gave us some helpful tips for a room makeover.

Do find a focal point. "Don't start decorating without knowing what your focal point is," says King. Because the focal point is the basis of the room, it must be determined before everything else. A focal point is just what it sounds like - something you want to focus on and draw attention to. It should be interesting and attractive; it can be something that is already part of the architecture, such as fireplace or a window with an amazing view, or else something that you add, like artwork.

King recommends using color to connect a focal point with the rest of the room. "If the focal point is a particular color, put a little of that color elsewhere in the room with a pillow or an accessory. It will tie the rest of the room in with your focal point." Also, furniture and accessories should be arranged around the focal point to bring even more of a dramatic effect to the space.

Do use color and texture. Furniture, walls, and floors can benefit from a little something extra. Texture can make the dullest room turn into something exciting! The easiest way to add these are through fabrics - pillows, cushions, and throws, says King. Accessories and picture frames are another simple way to bring in color. Also, an added benefit is that color and texture are very kid-friendly.

Do use odd numbers. "When you have odd numbers, it makes the arrangement look less planned. But symmetry is important too," King says. "Odd pieces add more interest, but certainly you don't need to do it every time." When creating an informal grouping for a coffee table or shelf, use one, three, five, or seven items. More than that and you're getting a little carried away. Proportions should be about the same, but heights should differ to keep it interesting.

Do use things that you already have. There is no point in spending a lot of money when you already have so much to decorate with. "Go shopping in the other rooms of your house and your attic," encourages King. "If you already have [an item], you probably like it, and it may look totally different in a different part of your house." Take a look at what you have and combine textures and colors.

Another helpful tip is to use paint to blend your previously owned items in with your new décor. "You can paint tables and picture frames. Color is a great unifier. It's a great way to pull a room together."

Don't paint first. You can always, always find a color to match a sofa, curtains, or a painting. We've all seen the thousands of paint colors available at stores like Walmart and Home Depot - it's obvious that there are many, many more colors of paint than there are sofas. Make your decision on curtains, carpet, and furniture first, and then choose your wall color.

Don't completely fill your room. Keeping blank space on your walls and in your room makes the space feel calm. Too much going on in one place can make your guests - and you - feel overwhelmed. All rooms need both negative (empty) and positive (full) space to keep it feeling balanced. Of course, the room's size is what really counts when considering the amount of furniture and accessories. As far as space goes, says King, the rule is that when you finish decorating, take one thing out.

Don't use floating rugs. A "floating rug" is a rug that is placed in the middle of the floor without being connected to anything else in the room. "You do need to have a rug; it defines space for you. Your furniture should sit on the rug so it pulls the pieces together," says King. Rugs should always be big enough to go at least under the front legs of your furniture. A large rug will pull together the different pieces of furniture in your room to create a unified space, rather than pieces floating in their own orbit.

Don't put your furniture against the wall. Most of us have grown up in homes where it is customary for the back of the couch to be seemingly attached to the closest wall. However, keeping chairs, sofas, and tables close to each other creates a more interesting and intimate setting. If you have a very large room, try to make two groups of furniture: a big group for conversation and a couple of comfy chairs, a small table, and a lamp for reading.

Don't be timid. "People aren't bold enough - they're scared to try things." King says that people are often afraid to use bold colors in their houses because they think the shade might be too intense. Painting one or two walls a brilliant shade while leaving the others a softer color is a great way to be bold without overwhelming yourself.

Be confident in following your own personal style. One of the most important things about your decorating job is that it connects to you and your family. You won't be happy living in the current trend if it doesn't appeal to you. If you are going to work with a professional designer, make sure he or she has more than one style, says King. "Find a professional who can work in many different styles so that the result is something that reflects you, not them." You might try collecting ideas from homes, magazines, and online pictures for a couple months to find what really clicks. Then pick a theme you like and go for it!

Decorating Dos and Don'ts

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:00:00 -0600

by Jamie Cline
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Obeying a few cardinal rules of decorating will prevent interior design disaster and give your home that show room look. Admit it, you're addicted to those interior design shows where the designers do the incredible: take an unbelievably messy house and turn it into something fantastic, something you would see in a magazine. At the end of every miraculous transformation, you say to yourself, "Well, sure, they can do that - they've got the money, they've taken the classes, and they were born with a sense of style!"

But really, all designers do is follow a few simple rules. Heidi Tyline King, author of Design Ideas for Home Decorating and several other design books, gave us some helpful tips for a room makeover.

Pet Boarding Tips

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:00:00 -0600

by Claire Thornock Brazelton
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Summertime calls for family road trips: visiting extended family and friends, adventures to theme parks, and swimming in the ocean. However, when traveling, many families face the hard decision between bringing their four-legged friend along or leaving him at home with a sitter or boarding facility. What to do? Many pet owners choose to place their dog or cat in a kennel while the family is away, but it can be hard to know if your pet friend will be properly cared for. What do you look for in a pet boarding facility? How do you find the one that suits your pet the best?

Dr. Wanda V. Pool, owner of Deepwood Veterinary Clinic in Virginia, believes there are "Eight Golden Rules of Pet Boarding" that will help to keep your pet healthy and safe while you are away. Pool created these rules because she knows how hard it can be to feel secure about trusting your pet to someone else.

"Finding the right pet boarding facility can be tough, especially when leaving your pet behind to go travel," Pool says. "But these tips can teach you what to look for in a pet barding facility and how to prepare yourself and your pet for the visit."

Research: Find out about boarding facilities from reliable sources, like veterinarians. To find out complaints have been made about that facility, check with the Better Business Bureau or another authority. Tour the entire facility, and don't be afraid to ask questions about any concerns or problems that you see.
"Sniff" test: Satisfy yourself that the boarding kennel you choose is safe, clean, and comfortable, providing good care from knowledgeable, experienced staff. If you see something that is out of the norm and makes you feel uncomfortable, go somewhere else.
Healthy standards: Confirm that the kennel requires all boarding animals to meet health standards. The kennel should insist all animals, including your pet, are current on vaccinations that protect against illnesses like kennel cough (Bordetella) and the newly emerging virus canine influenza H3N8.
Next, make sure the kennel maintains good conditions, as there are two ways that infections can spread in a pet facility. First, aerosol spread is caused when a facility has too many animals packed into a small area, increasing the spread of germs and viruses due to lack of open air. Second, direct spread is caused when areas where animals have vomited or urinated in the facility are not cleaned properly and staff and other animals come in contact with that area. Check for any potential opportunity for infection to spread within the facility.
Pet identification: Your pet should be properly identified during its boarding stay. The kennel should provide a highly visible ID collar as a help to kennel staff. Permanent identification, such as a microchip, is equally important. Be sure your pet's registration and your owner contact information are kept up-to-date in a national pet recovery database. Provide the facility with current pictures of your pet in case your animal gets lost. If you bring in your pet during a busy time, a way to help out staff members and to assure your pet gets fed properly is to allocate the food portions into baggies and identify how many times the pet should get the food.
Just in case: If your pet is on medication, bring it in the original bottles with original labels; this allows the kennel to know exactly what to do and how much to give your pet, should a question arise. Also, a list of medications the animal is on and the name of the veterinarian that prescribed them is beneficial to staff members. Any basic information about your pet is also vital to the facility.
Expect the unexpected: Kennels should have plans in place to handle health emergencies, including disease outbreaks, so be sure to ask about their protocol. Make sure that the place you leave your pet requires you to provide the name and contact information of your veterinarian or a signed release form authorizing medical care, if the kennel has a veterinarian on staff. Be sure to tell the facility that you want to be contacted if your pet gets sick, or give a release that allows the facility to give treatment to your dog or cat if they can't reach you within 24 hours. Besides leaving contact information for your veterinarian, consider leaving contact information for someone you would like to have your pet picked up by in the event of an emergency.
Pet inspection: You and facility workers should inspect the animal for any existing problems before check-in. When you retrieve your pet from the kennel, closely inspect him or her; look for signs of fleas, scrapes or bruises, or illness, such as discharge from the eyes or nose.
Relax: Maintain your composure when dropping off and retrieving pets from kennels so they can model your good behavior. Pets are uncanny at accurately reading you and how you feel, and if you are upset and stressed about something, then they will act that way too.

Follow these tips the next time you decide to leave your pet behind while you are traveling, and you can return to the same healthy, safe, and happy companion.

Coming Up Weeds

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:00:00 -0600

by LDS Living Staff
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Ah, weeding. The favorite Saturday pastime of adults and children alike. Many of us can recall fond childhood memories of hot summer days spent pulling, prying, even putting our whole weight behind those stubborn pests. Truly, weeding is one memory that the years can't romanticize. Isn't there an easier way to get it done? Well, yes.

Wet the soil. It's an old tip, but it's an important one, especially when your beds have been baking in the hot summer sun. For best results, water the area thoroughly and allow it to sit for at least 10 minutes.

Break out the tools. A weeding tool, which has a forked tip, is best used for tougher weeds. To use it, push it into the soil and lever the forked end against the stalk and roots. For young, shallow weeds, simply rake over the area and allow the weeds to die, then pluck them out. You can also ensure weeds stay shallow by gently stirring the soil's surface, thus uprooting newly developing weeds.

Lay black plastic or garden weed cloth. This works best in areas overrun with weeds. With time, the heat will kill the weeds, making them easier to pull and lessening their impact on the garden. Be prepared for this method to take some time (maybe up to a whole season).

Weed out seedlings. The proverbial "One year's seeding makes seven years weeding" is true. After you've cleaned up your beds, make sure to stay on top of the weed situation. Get rid of weeds when they are small and before they go to seed, and you'll avoid marathon weeding sessions in the future.

One final tip: Never lay a pulled weed on unprotected ground; the seeds could spread. Either stick the weeds directly in the garbage, or lay them on a surface covered with plastic or newspaper.

Fire Up the Grill

Fri, 21 May 2010 18:00:00 -0600

by LDS Living Staff
source: MormonLife.com

Nothing is better for summer days than smoky, mildly charred meats, veggies, and fruits. Grilled food can taste even better (and your grill can last longer) with consistent cleaning. Here are some things to consider:

Grates: Clean grates completely after every use (key word: after; it's easier). Once the grill has cooled a little, but it still slightly warm, take your time and brush off remaining food. Don't worry about cleaning it to a shine; just get rid of bumps. Brush on oil with a paper towel when finished, to protect from rust.
Charcoal grills: Don't just dump out the old charcoal; brushing out the ash and other remnants will cut down on bad-tasting smoke. Clean both top and bottom grates. Clean inside and outside of lid.
Gas grills: Always brush off grates and sides when complete. Clean and replace caked-on rocks or briquettes to cut down on smoke. Turn on the "clean" function each time before cooking to get residual food off (but don't think this function gives a free pass to neglect other cleaning).

If you're planning to use your grill for the first time in a year, make sure to first turn off the gas connection if you have a gas grill. Take apart the grill and use fine steel wool on the grates. Clean off hard-crusted fat from the grill with grill cleaner. Never use cleaning solutions on a warm grill; wait until it is cool. Spray valves with WD-40 and re-oil to prevent knobs from breaking off. Next, for a gas stove, make sure to check on the burners to make sure they're not blocked. Clean everything with soapy water, then heat again to burn off residue.

Movin' On

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 18:00:00 -0600

by LDS Living Staff
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Moving doesn't have to be the worst experience of your life.

If you're like the 13 percent of Americans moving this year (and especially if that move will be happening once school is out), you're probably starting to panic a little about all that needs to be done. As with all things, you just need to plan. Here are some things you might not think of that will be sure to make the move smoother.

General Tips

Begin sorting through mail a month ahead of the move to figure out who you'll need to notify of your address change. Remember to consider magazines and other widely-spaced deliveries that may not fall in your "month ahead" plan.
Use the scraps from your shredder to pack items. Shred papers you don't need and shred newspaper; this material is perfect for packing away delicate items, like dishes.
Don't waste your time packing clothes. Use another option that makes packing and unpacking easier. For instance, leave your clothes hanging and wrap rubber bands around the hook of the hangers, then pull a plastic bag over the top to protect them. Use wardrobe boxes for bulkier items, such as comforters and winter coats.
Resist the temptation to simply throw items into boxes helter-skelter. The catch-all "miscellaneous" is a bane to movers everywhere. Be specific so you can be efficient in unpacking. Use a color code for rooms where the boxes should go (stickers on the boxes and doors of the correlating room), thus helping moving help outside your family to find the proper room.
Get professional movers for complicated, valuable things like pianos. Professional movers are expensive, but your item cost more, and you'll want to make sure it arrives safely.

When Moving to Another City

A month in advance, gather all family members' (and pets') medical and dental records, including recent X-rays and prescription info. Ask your doctor for recommendations in your new area. If you're moving out of state, make insurance arrangements, as you most certainly can't transfer your current insurance to another state.
Make a list of utility and service companies you need to contact with dates of when your service can be shut off (gas, electricity, internet, etc.). Arrange for necessary utilities to start in your new home before you move.
Decide what needs to travel with you and plan for a couple extra days of living out of a suitcase. Better safe than sorry. Once you've established what will move with you, make sure it all fits by packing it into the car or truck you'll be driving. Adjust as needed.
Make a list of everything you have borrowed and loaned out. Return borrowed items and collect your items from others. Give a pick-up deadline to anyone whose stuff you are storing.

Square Foot Gardening

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 18:00:00 -0600

by Erin Jones
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: With just a few unconventional techniques, you can have a beautiful, unique, and organized garden that doesn’t take too much effort. Picture your garden: Is it overgrown with weeds? Is it ugly and embarrassing? Are there any edible plants at all?

Now imagine a new garden without these common ailments. Upon first look, the garden of your dreams has a slightly different appearance: divided evenly into sections, it has a beautifully landscaped area with more diversity foot-for-foot than typical gardens.

This is square foot gardening. Mel Bartholomew, the originator of the system, believes that square foot gardening is more than just a new method of gardening--it's a different psychological approach.

What Is It? Bartholomew, a retired engineer, created the method after he saw rundown gardens and realized that most gardening methods are geared toward large-scale growers. He set out to develop a method that would work in a small space for anyone who wanted to garden. "I came up with the idea that we could eliminate all the bad things about single row gardening and turn it into square foot gardening," says Bartholomew.

While traditional gardening involves planting seeds in rows, square foot gardening divides the garden into a series of squares. Each twelve-by-twelve-inch square holds a different vegetable, flower, or herb, with each square the same distance apart in all directions. The resulting square foot system takes little work, keeps gardeners from overplanting, and uses 80 percent less space than a traditional garden.

Square foot gardening also produces five times the crop as a traditional garden. "Part of the beauty of square foot gardening," says Bartholomew, "is it allows you to grow more of your own food, which helps with your budget."

The Method To start a square foot garden, first pick an area that gets a lot of sunlight. Bartholomew suggests keeping the garden close to your home so it's easy to see and take care of. Decide how many garden boxes you want to create. You can create just one box, or as many as you please.

Now follow the steps of square foot gardening:

1. Layout. Lay out four-by-four foot planting areas with walkways in between.

2. Boxes. Build garden box frames no wider than four feet, and about six to eight inches deep. Length is not important, but a good size is four-by-four feet. Make the frames from any material (lumber works great) except treated wood. Fasten the boards together with deck screws.

3. Aisles. If you're planning for more than one garden box, space boxes three feet apart to form walking aisles. Make them large enough to kneel in.

4. Soil. Fill each box with Bartholomew's mix of one-third compost, one-third peat moss, and one-third coarse vermiculite. If you're placing the boxes over grass, you can cover the grass with cardboard or landscape cloth so weeds won't grow through the soil.

5. Grid. The most important part of the system is a grid is placed on top of each box and divides the box into one-foot squares. The grid should divide the box frame into sixteen spaces for up to sixteen kinds of crops. You can make the grid from any material such as wood, plastic strips, or old blinds. Attach the grid pieces where they cross with screws or rivets. The grid organizes your garden and makes it easy to manage.

6. Care. Don't walk on the soil. Tend the garden from the aisles.

7. Select. Plant a different flower, vegetable, or herb crop in each square foot, placing one, four, nine, or sixteen seeds per square foot (check the recommended plant spacing on the seed packet). According to Bartholomew, the easiest crops to grow are beans, beets, swiss chard, corn, cucumbers, lettuce, radishes, squash, and tomatoes.

8. Plant. Make holes with your finger; plant one or two seeds in each hole and cover. Store extra seeds in the refrigerator. Do not overplant.

9. Water. Water often by hand from a bucket of sun-warmed water.

10. Harvest. When you finish harvesting a square foot, add compost and replant it with a new and different crop for crop rotation.

Both beginners and experts can take to square foot gardening. Bartholomew suggests making it a family affair by getting kids involved with creating their own gardens.

Bartholomew believes that square foot gardening helps accomplish President Kimball's advice to "grow all the food that you feasibly can on your own property" and to "study the best methods of providing your own foods."

"President Kimball said to find the best, most efficient, most attractive method of gardening and to practice that," says Bartholomew.

--- Making Your Garden Last . . .

Now that you've grown your own beautiful garden, are you overwhelmed by its success? Canning is the perfect way to enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of your labor all year long. Here are some quick tips to help you get started.

Check your supplies. Inspect all your jars, lids, and rings to make sure there aren't any defects.

Make some space. You're going to need a lot of room for your canning project, so clean up your kitchen counters before you start. One way to have ample space is to purchase an outdoor stove, such as the three-burner stoves available from Camp Chef (campchef.com). Another benefit of using an outdoor stove is that your house won't be uncomfortably warm and filled with steam.

Start with tried and true recipes. Ask friends and family for their best canning recipes so you have a good experience with your results the first time through. Later, you can get creative.

Apartment Gardening

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:00:00 -0600

by LDS Living Staff
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Many apartment dwellers may have resigned themselves to living without a garden. But even with limited space and resources, you can grow some great things through container gardening.

Container gardening is about your only option if you only have a balcony or a patio. Don't fear; you can grow a great garden in containers. Here are some tips:

Good Plants for containers include tomatoes, peppers, and cabbage. The patio variety of tomato, or a cherry tomato like Sweet Million, Sun Gold, Sweet 100, or Small Fry, come highly recommended.
Make sure the container is big enough. Put tomatoes in two-gallon containers or pots that are at least twelve inches across.
Plant two or three plants in a half barrel.
Stake the tomatoes.
Use potting soil or top soil mixed with compost or peat.
If possible, put the containers where they will get six hours of good sunlight. If that isn't possible, just do the best you can.
Peppers can have slightly smaller containers than tomatoes. Pots should be at least eight inches across.
Water immediately after planting with a starter fertilizer. After planting, water often, since soil dries out fast.

If you don't have a balcony or patio but do have a window that gets a lot of sun, you can still grow a small garden.

Any herb can be grown in containers. Look for a long window box pot with several different herbs in it. Some herbs that do well include basil, bay, dill, thyme, parsley, chives, lemon balm, garlic chives, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, and savory.
Also, you can try some salad greens, like lettuce, Asian greens, or mustard spinach. Cut the greens when they are six to eight inches in height. You will often get a second or third cutting from greens. Most indoor grown plants want at least five hours of direct sunlight.
You can also supplement natural light with shop-style fluorescent lights. Position them so they are six inches above the top leaves.

Landscaping 101

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:00:00 -0700

by Claire Thornock Brazelton
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: You might think you have to hire someone to make the perfect yard a reality, but anyone who is willing to take the time and use the right tools can create their own picturesque landscape.

There are so many things to consider in landscaping that you might feel intimidated when it comes to making your own yard beautiful. Never fear. Whether you are starting a new landscape from scratch or want to improve an old one, these simple guidelines will help you to create that perfect look.

Plant Choice According to Stephen Labrum, a professional landscaper and grounds supervisor for the Mount Timpanogos Temple in American Fork, Utah, the first step you need to take in deciding which plants to use is to look at your property and decide how you are going to use the space. He suggests looking through books and magazines for inspiration.

"I have my own file and cut things out of magazines to get an idea of a great garden area or patio--things that I then incorporate into projects," says Labrum. But remember, there are several things to consider when choosing plants.

Climate "Go to professional gardens such as at temples, city buildings, and school campuses to get an idea of what plants grow well in your area and what they look like," Labrum says.

Visiting these places not only allows you to see a visual landscape but also shows you plants at a young, intermediate, and mature stage that grow well in your area.

Local nurseries can also be a great help when finding plants to put in your yard. The people there can tell you specific things about plants and trees, like how big they are going to get, what soil is the best, and how to care for each plant.

Another way to understand your climate and which plants will thrive in your yard is to find your city's cold hardiness zone. You can find this either in a book from your library or online.

Variety When you are searching for trees, bushes, or flowers, use an assortment of species that have different heights, colors, and leaf sizes. Avoid buying numerous amounts of the same plant. "In nature, not all one species of plant grows in any given area. There are varied trees, bushes, and flowers," Labrum says. "The goal of your landscape is to make it look as natural as possible; it will make it feel more comfortable."

Don't always run with the crowd. You don't want the exact same trees and design as your neighbors. Be sure to add your own personal touch to your plant selection so that your house will stand out.

"The landscape is what keeps your eye coming back to the house," Labrum says. "It's like a new discovery of a picture, noticing different things every time you look at it."

Design The best way to design your landscape is to divide your yard into different "rooms." Labrum explains that the best functionality of your house is separation of rooms, so that is how your landscape should be too. "In my backyard I have a 'play room' with a swing set, a 'secret garden room' with a bench and pond, a 'running around room' with a big grassy area, and a 'garden' room where my garden is," says Labrum.

Connect each separate room with "hallways"--areas in the yard that don't necessarily have a purpose but get you from one room to the other. Allow each room in your yard to have its own unique plants and style, but make sure to incorporate some similar plants throughout each room so that each room is tied together.

"Its good to have different interests in your landscaping, just like you do in your house; each room has it's own paint, carpet, and pictures, yet similar things tie it all in together," Labrum says.

Finally, plant things in odd numbers. Clustering three to five plants together will give your yard a more natural look.

--- Quick Landscaping Tips

Before you start planting, make sure to know where your sprinkler, natural gas, and electrical lines are throughout the yard so that a line won't be broken during construction.
Before you start planting, look at your landscaping idea from all different perspectives: a neighbor's house, across the street, and even from a window. Show your design to a nursery worker for more input.
Don't be afraid to ask. If you visit a public garden and are wondering what types of plants or trees they use, go into the office or building and ask to speak to the landscaper.
Remember, the landscape of your house is like the mat and frame of a picture. Be sure that your landscaping and house complement each other.

Perfect Picking

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 17:00:00 -0700

by Joy Bossi and Karen Bastow
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: How can you tell when those fruits and vegetables are at their prime and ready to harvest? There is often a window that may only last a few days and you certainly want to eat or preserve those veggies when they are at their best. Here's a description of the most common vegetables and fruits typically grown in home gardens:

Beans Green beans--the color green that is--are not supposed to look like a beaded necklace in a little green sleeve. The pods should be picked when they are still straight, without bulges. Same goes for yellow or purple "green" beans.

Beets, Turnips, Rutabagas Beets should be between the size of a golf ball and a tennis ball when you pull them. And the same goes for turnips and rutabagas. (Don't knock them until you've tried them. They really are good in a stew, Cornish Pasty, or medley of roasted root vegetables. Notice they are vegetables? You are eating the roots! Carrots and onions are veggies, too. Technically you are eating an onion bulb, but it still counts as a vegetable.)

Carrots Carrots can stay in the ground even after the first frost--making storage from summer to about November a snap. Of course you can harvest as soon as they are big enough to look like carrots. But, how do you tell, since they are underground? Pull one and check! Just go out and get one when it's time for the Sunday roast or a picnic veggie plate. If your soil has dried out a little, use a spading fork to loosen the soil before trying to pull up the carrots. This will prevent you from coming away with just a handful of the lacy leafy greens.

Cucumbers Cucumbers--another of the lovely fruits--play a hide-and-seek game with you, and the winner gets the cucumber. Vines that were chugging out four, five, or six cucumbers a day can suddenly stop altogether. No new blossoms, no fruit, nothing to pick at all. That signals the start of the game. You need to very carefully, perhaps even on bended knee, search under every leaf and stem until you find the bulging, no longer little, cucumber that is probably even turning a little yellow on one side. Pick that blasted over-blown cucumber and it will be like releasing water behind a plugged watering furrow. Whoosh—overnight blossoms appear, and in less than a week you are back to making little cucumber sandwiches! Pickling cucumbers usually have little pokey spines on them and can be picked from the time they are two inches long. Slicing cucumbers, usually the ones with the smooth skin, can be picked when they are from 6-16 inches long, depending on the variety.

Melons Remember, melons don't store well at all! Therefore, eating is the only answer to the question of what to do with them once they are ripe. But that brings us to yet another question--how do you tell when they are ripe?

Watermelons should be good to eat when the little pigtail tendril opposite the stem that hooks the watermelon to the vine is dried up and the underside of the melon has changed from a dull cream color to yellow.

Rather than, or sometimes in addition to, the tendril checking, some gardeners prefer the "thump-thump" method. An unripe melon is supposed to sound like you just thumped somebody's head. I've heard it said "your own" head, but I think that complicates the method by the echo you hear through your skull. (At least that's my excuse for not getting the underripe diagnosis "correct.") Ripeness is signaled when the thump sounds like a solid whack against your chest. The oh-rats-it's-too-ripe sound is like you thwacked your abdomen.

Some melons "slip" or come off the vine easily when ready. Many muskmelons and cantaloupes do this. It is an easy way to judge the melons--just lift and tilt, and if they drop off the stem easily, they are ready! Sometimes it does lead to over-ripe fruit because nobody went out and checked yesterday or the day before when they were perfect, but now they are mushy and have a yucky taste.

Corn Fresh corn is an absolute treat--and with the super sweet varieties it almost qualifies as a dessert! Picking corn is easy--grab the husk-covered ear and twist it off the stalk. Being able to tell if it is ripe is another skill all together. Peel back the husk a little--just a little, because you may need to leave that ear on the stalk a while longer--to expose the little kernels. Poke one with a fingernail and if juice squirts out it's time to pick. If the little kernel still has the silk attached or is rather flat instead of plump, you need to wait a couple of days. If the kernel is big and tightly packed against the other kernels and when you poke with a fingernail it just dents in, sorry Charlie; you waited too long.

With the newly developed super sweet varieties of corn, you can actually put the ears in the fridge for a day or two and it will still be perfectly sweet and ready to eat. In the "olden" days, it was often said that the way to have a perfect ear of corn on the cob was this: Get a big pot of water and bring the water to a boil. Only after it's boiling do you go to the garden to pick the corn. Then you start running back to the kitchen, but if you fall down on the way by the time you get up, the corn is too old and you'll need to go back and pick fresher ears!

Most corn has been harvested by September.

Onions Onions meant to be used as green onions, or scallions, can be pulled as soon as they are pencil-sized. Leave them in the ground with enough space, and some of them will grow to "slice them for a hamburger" size. They should be pulled before a hard frost.

Peppers Ripe peppers have a much sweeter taste than the not-quite-ripe green ones. Sweet or bell peppers will change color when they are ripe! So be daring and let them become red, yellow, orange or purple peppers. Hot peppers change color too. The color changes when they approach their full size.

The hottest parts of the pepper are the seeds and the whitish ribs on the inside of the fruit. (There's that fruit thing again! Seeds inside equals fruit.) You can tone down the heat a little by removing those parts before chopping or slicing or stuffing or whatever tasty thing you do with your peppers. And do be careful when handling those fiery gems. Be sure to wear gloves and remember to wash your hands very well with soap and water before rubbing your eyes, nose, or any other sensitive areas.

Tomatoes One of the reasons gardeners and eaters love home-grown tomatoes is that there is actually flavor in them thar red/yellow/orange "tomaters." That wonderful taste difference can be explained at least in part because home gardeners actually let the tomatoes ripen before picking them. Commercially produced tomatoes must be picked green so they can survive the long journey to your local market, hence the flavorless crunch of store-bought offerings.

But to really rank higher on the delight scale than those from the grocery produce department, tomatoes must be picked when just perfectly ripe--or very close so they can ripen on your counter.

Tomatoes need to be uniformly the color intended (red, yellow, orange, purple, and so on), and need to nearly fall into your palm when you put your hand under the fruit and lift with a slight twist. Sometimes the little stem comes with the tomato, sometimes not--it doesn't matter. But if you're tugging rather vigorously before the tomato reluctantly gives up its home, you should consider coming back in a day or two and try it again. Remember, actual taste is worth waiting for.

Summer Squash In order for summer squashes such as zucchini and yellow crookneck to be at their tender best, pick zucchini when they are a maximum of six to eight inches long. The baby squash that are so expensive in the store are yours for the picking, too. Just snap off any summer squash when they are only 2 to 3 inches long, and you'll have a gourmet's delight.

If your family is from Italy (or not) and has a traditional recipe for stuffed zucchini, you may want to let one, two, or more approach 12 inches long. This will take only an extra day or two, so don't let your family heritage lull you into a lackadaisical approach to squash harvest. Vigilance is the watchword for tending the summer squash plot. And when picking, always keep an eye out for the one hiding under one of the huge leaves--oh, it's there all right. And if left alone to continue its zucchini or yellow squash tendency, it will not only turn into that baseball bat, but because the seeds inside are starting to mature, the entire plant will concentrate on that one fruit, and stop producing the little squash that are soooo good to eat.

Harvest From Fruit Trees

Apples Cut an apple in half to check for ripeness--dark brown seeds indicate a ripe apple, but maybe still not at the peak of the sweetness. Many apples are sweetest after the first couple of light frosts.

Peaches For peaches to be at their sweetest, the sunshine should hit the fruit. Proper pruning in the early spring should create an open-centered tree to expose the fruit to the sun. A ripe peach should fall into your hand when you put your palm under the fruit and lift up and twist slightly. The fruit should give slightly when you squeeze gently. They develop their sweetest flavor when ripened on the tree, so don't be in a hurry to pick them.

Pears Pears need to be picked while still green, both in color and ripeness. If left to ripen on the tree, pears develop "stone cells" which feel very gritty when you chew the fruit. Pick the pears just as the little tiny spots or dots appear on the skin. Put them on the counter or in a paper bag to finish ripening. Check every day and when they are yellow and give slightly when you squeeze them, they are ready to eat.

Plums A gentle squeeze and then a taste test will let you know if they are ripe--and will really jolt the old taste buds if they aren't!

--- Excerpted from Joy in Your Garden: A Seasonal Guide to Gardening, by Joy Bossi and Karen Bastow, Cedar Fort 2010. Now available at amazon.com.

Christmas Cleanup

Fri, 25 Dec 2009 17:00:00 -0700

by LDS Living Staff
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Sooner or later you'll be putting away the Christmas fanfare. If you followed our tips for unloading your decorations, the cleanup should be easier. Here are a few more tips in putting away your decorations to help you prepare for decorating next year and protect the decorations you have. Lights. Take a picture of your outdoor light display. Use it as either a cautionary tale or a template for what you want to do next year. If you want to do the same thing again, label nondescript things (such as colored mini lights) as you put them away so you know where they worked well. Lastly, don't stack a bunch of lights in one box; doing so increases the likelihood that the ones on the bottom will get damaged.

Linens. Pack linens with a few dryer sheets to keep moths away and keep them smelling fresh. Air release bags or suitcases also work well for keeping them safe from water damage.

Delicates. Glass and keepsake ornaments should be kept in their original boxes, if you have them. If not, allow your stockings and linens to do double duty by packing them with fragile ornaments. You may also want to use other linens to pack delicate things - but make sure to put a note at the top of the box so next year you can remember to carefully handle specific stocking or blankets filled with fragile items. For candles and other things that scratch or dent carefully, stick them in old socks. Store all delicate items in a climate-controlled place to avoid heat damage.

The tree. Putting away an artificial tree with the lights still on is the hardest part of the Christmas cleanup, but a few simple steps will help you keep it in a smaller place and preserve it longer. First identify any lights that aren't working and replace them immediately; this will prevent your entire string of lights from burning out. Then un-fluff the tree by folding baby branches back to the big branches. (This step is commonly skipped, but it protects the needles, branches, and lights better.) Carefully wrap and tie the tree in a plastic bag.

Inventory. With your boxes already labeled, make a list of the things that went into each box. Keep this somewhere you'll remember it (like in box #1) so you can easily find items next year.

Holiday Pet Safety

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:00:00 -0700

by Jenni Gasparrini
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: The holidays bring some wonderful things with them—turkeys, trees, presents, snow—but many of these things can cause problems for your furry friends. Get through the holidays safely with these few precautions. Big, small, fur, scales - no matter the type, pets are an important part of the family. They can even add an extra measure of merriment to the holidays - who doesn't love a Santa hat on a dog (besides the dog)? This time of year poses extra challenges to pet owners and their curious friends, though, in the form of extra decorations, plants, and food. So to keep your holidays bright and pet-emergency free, consider a few simple safety measures for your favorite friends.

Feed your pet the right food. One of the basic rules of being a pet owner is knowing when and what to feed your pet. Each pet responds differently to different foods, so it is up to us as owners to find out what best suits our dog, cat, rabbit, or bird. Even if you don't intentionally give your animal food from the table (and you really shouldn't), accidental snacking is more likely to occur during this season of dinner parties and goodie making. Some common foods to take extra care of:

Dogs and Cats

Onions and garlic: Toxic; can cause anemia.
Grapes and raisins: Potentially fatal; causes vomiting, lethargy, abdominal pain, and renal failure.
Chocolate: The classic no-no; can affect the nervous system and cause heart problems.
Salt: One teaspoon can cause serious sickness.
Macadamia nuts: Causes dogs serious but temporary sickness through muscle weakness.

Rabbits

Fruit: Excess fruit (more than two tablespoons of high fiber fruit) can cause digestive problems.
Junk food: Rabbits have sensitive digestive systems that cannot handle these rich foods.

Birds

Avocados: Keep that guacamole dip out of reach! Avocados can be fatal for birds. While you're at it, store onions, mushrooms, and dried beans away from your feathered friends, since they are particularly toxic.
Junk food: Fatty food, or anything high in sugar or salt, is dangerous for birds - especially chocolate.

Put a lid on it (the trash, that is). Most animals have a passion for human food. In their defense, even the trash we throw away tastes superior to their food. However, the trash can is the perfect hunting ground, and it's also the most dangerous.

Chicken bones, toxic or rancid food, and sharp containers or edges are dangers to your pets. When trash is inside, keep it locked away in a cabinet or closet that is not easily accessed. When you take out the trash, be sure to put a lid on it. Or if you don't have lids, be sure it is inside a trashcan and not just lying up against the house. Though you may have limits to how far you will walk to take out the trash when the weather is cold, your dog or cat is entirely limitless when it comes to most foods.

Mind the small stuff. Ribbons, paper, cords, and tinsel - floor scraps around the holidays are inevitable. Although a few remnants of wrapping paper or ribbon on the floor may not bother you, it may be a danger to your pet. When pets ingest it, they can have intestinal problems and blockage. Ribbons and tinsel are of particular concern (especially for cats). Don't use tinsel; if you must, keep it sparse and high. If you see some of this glittering garnish with bite marks on it, assume it was your pet and take him or her to the veterinarian. Additionally, be extra vigilant about regular vacuuming during this time.

Outside the house, watch out for salted walkways. Aside from the sickness pets can experience from licking it, salt is also irritating to pet paws. Wash off their feet if they walk on salt.

Beware of holiday plants. Rarely do we think about poisonous plants. After all, most of the time we aren't going to eat it. Your pet, however, may have a different idea. Curiosity may get the best of your dog, cat, rabbit, or bird, and you may find them munching on your holiday poinsettia or lapping up the water meant for your tree, only to later find them curled up and feeling ill. Take necessary precautions. If you have a plant that is poisonous, such as a poinsettia or sprig of holly (which is toxic for birds), try placing it on a shelf or a counter where your pets cannot reach it or see it. For your tree, make sure to secure a plastic bag over the water (which can have fertilizer, pesticides, and tree food in it), and watch carefully to make sure your pets don't try to climb the tree!

Be sure to check out the National Humane Society's website at hsus.org/pets/pet_care for the most up-to-date information on pet care.

Please Be Seated

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:00:00 -0700

by Shari Wells
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: When you have the right tips, entertaining is a rewarding—and affordable—activity. Make this season bright by hosting a classy gathering for your friends and family. People often avoid entertaining because they assume it's too expensive, too time consuming, and possibly outdated. But psychologists tell us that it is important for our mental and emotional health to gather friends at the dinner table and entertain. If you keep entertaining simple and fun, it can become a wonderful family tradition.

Getting Organized for a Party Consider the parties you have attended. What made them successful? Make a list of all your friends and people you would like to get to know. Decide if you would like to give a party with a theme. If there is a fun, imaginative theme, no one will mind if you serve simple rustic stew and salad.

Keep a journal of your parties so you can improve next time. At the end of each of my parties, I make notes as to what I will do differently next time and what was successful this time. Did the guests like the food? What were their comments? I also note the dishes, the flower arrangement, and the linens I used. I take pictures for the journal as well.

Making Purchasing Decisions Borrowing: You may have friends and family who will loan you tables and chairs, dishes, and glassware. Go ahead and borrow the furniture, but don't borrow the dinnerware. You will worry all through the party about possible damage - you won't be relaxed, and it will show.

Tablecloths: When you purchase your first tablecloth, it should be white, at least 40 to 60 percent polyester, and wrinkle resistant. These tablecloths come out of the dryer almost wrinkle free, so you can avoid ironing. If you are tired of using a white cloth and napkins, the least expensive way to get a splash of color is to purchase brightly colored napkins and a few flowers (real or silk) that blend. If you would like a tablecloth in a print or plaid, I suggest looking in drapery and upholstery shops. The fabric should be 54 inches wide, so you won't have to cut and seam the cloth. All you would need to do is hem it for a one-of-a-kind background for your dinner party. And be sure to put a sheet under the table cloth; this will give it a nicer look and feel.

The Centerpiece: If you are using a four-person table, a small vase of flowers is all that is necessary. You could also dress up a salad or arrange a bowl of fruit or vegetables and herbs and make that the centerpiece. Avoid creating an arrangement that will block the view of your guests' faces across the table. Have fun with your centerpiece and don't make it too complicated.

Lighting: Even if you are using bright colors, evening party tables can still appear dull without overhead lighting. If you don't have overhead lighting, use candles or anything that can refract light. Water creates movement, so if you place floating candles in a low container of water, the candlelight will reflect off the water. A mirror in the center of the table with candles on top also works well. The light will hit the glassware and plates and make everything shine.

"Painting" the Table Think of your table as you would a room. Consider the different ways people use space when decorating. Have you seen rooms where the furniture is overwhelming? You might have felt as though you were trapped in a maze. The same thing can happen when you look at a highly decorated tablescape. If there are too many glasses, too many parts to the centerpiece, too many candles, and so forth, it will appear like a maze. After putting together your table, step back and ask yourself, Is there too much? Does everything add to the table, rather than distract from its purpose?

I changed my whole outlook in table design after seeing a traveling Van Gogh exhibit. He kept his lines clean and his message simple. He used primary colors extensively. I now use more primary colors, and I make sure the table has clean lines and isn't cluttered.

"Painting" the Plate You have "painted" the table, and now you need to "paint" the plate. Color is very important. Bright colors, such as red, purple, green, orange, and gold, all look wonderful and create a psychological desire to sit down and eat. These colors happen to be found on many vegetables. You can't do better than to emulate nature.

Before choosing your menu, be warned that some foods, such as mushroom risotto, taste wonderful but look terrible on a plate. Avoid serving things that are beige and gray. In this example, choose butternut squash or asparagus risotto instead. If you are serving a main dish that is predominantly white, such as chicken cassoulet, some fresh parsley or other fresh herb is necessary as garnish. That's all you need, because you will have brightly colored vegetables and salad to serve. Elaborate garnishes add unnecessary expense.

Desserts When serving a main dish that has a white sauce base, it is best not to serve a dessert made with cream or cream cheese. Combining the two would be serving too many dairy products to your guests. Instead, serve fruit-based desserts such as cobbler, pie, or cookies and sorbet.

Remember, it isn't much fun for a guest with allergies or medical conditions to watch the other guests eating dessert that they cannot eat. It's a good idea to have strawberries or other fresh fruit on hand, just in case.

First-time entertainers are often surprised to find that desserts sometimes cost more to make than the main dish. Through my experience, I have found that ice cream desserts, cookies, and pies are the least expensive to make.

After working all week, many may not feel like entertaining. Yes, it's a little extra work, but there are many benefits. You have an outlet for creativity, you will form closer friendships and family relationships, and you'll have an opportunity to make new friends. Remember to cook with your heart and record the memories and the recipes for your loved ones.

---

Adapted from Please Be Seated by Shari Wells. Available at Author House, 888-519-5121.

Art and Soul

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:00:00 -0700

by LDS Living Staff
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Art has a special way of adding joy, beauty, and personality to any home. But how do you choose what to put on your walls? From hanging your favorite pieces to selecting the best frames, here are some tips on how to display your most meaningful artwork throughout your home while creating your own unique style. The artwork we use to decorate our homes provides us with an opportunity to outwardly express what is most important to us: our spiritual beliefs, our family, our heritage, our style, and so on. Unfortunately, many of us don't take that opportunity. Instead, we opt for a meaningless landscape scene because we've seen it work in catalogs, it fills the empty space on our wall, and it happens to coordinate with the color of our couch.

As Latter-day Saints, it remains important for us to consider keeping sacred images front and center in our homes. However, that doesn't mean our homes need to look like the lobby of the stake center. Our homes, while set apart from the world, are still meant to be lived in; it is possible to elegantly integrate meaningful artwork and personal mementos with these visual reminders of our eternal goals. Read on to learn how.

Making Your House Your Home The first hurdle to jump is choosing those art pieces that best fit your family and your home. Take a quick look around. What personality does your home describe for its inhabitants? Does it look like the family living there is your family?

Decorating according to your own taste isn't too difficult, it just takes some self-discovery. Artist Lynde Mott believes each person can attain tremendous control over his or her surroundings.

"The main thing you should be thinking isn't, 'Is it trendy?'" says Mott. "It should be, 'What do you love?'"

Mott has a tremendous affinity for Nauvoo and the early Victorian style that goes with the period. In her home, she decided to incorporate her love for the people and stories of Nauvoo with her own artistic touches. Likewise, Vernett Jones of Logan, Utah, decided to decorate her condominium at Bear Lake with a nautical theme to fit with the waterside atmosphere.

Here are some questions to ask yourself as you consider a style for your house or for a particular room:

1. Is there a country or place you have an attachment to? Connect your decorations to the theme of that place.

2. What are your interests? If you're an artist, decorate your studio with your own artwork. If you're a writer or reader, decorate your library with pictures of literary figures. Sports enthusiasts can decorate the rec room with sports equipment and trophies, or theater nuts can decorate with theater posters.

3. What colors give you energy? Create a palette with a few of your favorite colors (consulting a color wheel to make sure they don't clash) and use them.

4. What is your favorite getaway? If you like the beach, decorate with sea stars, seashells, beach gear, and sailing equipment.

5. Is there a particular time period you enjoy? If so, do some research to discover decorating techniques and styles or the era.

6. Is there a particular object you are fond of or collect? Try basing your theme around it.

7. What is your family like? Make sure your family's interests come through in the theme, and let your children have a say in what goes onto their walls.

As you plan, it's important to consider how the decorations fit within your family and situation. How do the decorations portray your interests and passions? Do they relate to places you've been, things you collect, or family memories?

Before you begin, be sure you're mentally prepared. "I don't move on a project until I have some good visual reference for what I'm going to do," says Mott.

Choosing Your Pieces While some, like Mott, may literally create their style themselves, others can develop it by keeping a watchful eye for those pieces that best communicate their personality. Vernett Jones has found many of her decorations from catalogs and magazines, as well as craft and hobby shops.

Jones matched her decorations to her neutral carpet and her seashell-bordered wallpaper. To add personal touches, she painted a picture of a boat to go over the fireplace, and her daughter cross-stitched a ship to hang on the wall. She has received several paintings that have fit with the decorating scheme as well.

Jones's family comes through in all of her decorations. She loves decorating with family pictures, and on her wall is a framed list of family sayings. When her parents passed away, she put together several shadow boxes filled with memorabilia from her parents.

"Those kinds of things give it a unique feeling that makes it ours," says Jones.

This is where some of the best decor comes from - your own experiences. Family photos, shadow boxes filled with Great-grandpa's reading glasses, tickets to the Yankees game, or seashells gathered from a recent family trip add an important dimension to your home. In fact, creating a memory wall is often the least inexpensive and most meaningful way to decorate your home.

Along with family mementos, consider the type of art you want to hang. There has never been more beautiful art to choose from - especially within the LDS culture. And those important sacred pieces in your home - be they paintings Christ or fine photographs of your favorite temple - can easily fit your style. To select the artwork that works best for you, take a long look at the current decor in each room you are considering. Which colors would your art piece complement best? Would a charcoal sketch, a delicate acrylic painting, or a powerful photograph go best with your furniture? Look closely at the overall style of the room (contemporary, classical, baroque, etc.) to decide. Also, consider the size of the room. A small space that lacks windows or light is a great choice for a nature scene. This creates the illusion of a window and makes the space seem bigger.

As you make your house your own, be true to yourself and your family. Your home should show the world who you are and what you believe in. "It's really a tangible testimony," says Mott, "a very visible way . . . to express very non-visual ideas."

Professional Touches Once you've chosen your perfect piece of art, you need to decide where and how you are going to display it. Deciding which room you want to display your art piece in is probably one of the most challenging parts of hanging your art. Here are a few specifics to consider when selecting the piece and the room in which it will hang:

Choose a focal point. "Don't start decorating without knowing what your focal point is," says Heidi Tyline King, author of Ideals for Home Decorating and several other design books.

Because the focal point is the basis of the room, it must be determined before everything else. A focal point is just what it sounds like - something you want to focus on and draw attention to. It should be interesting and attractive; it can be something that is already part of the architecture, such as fireplace or a window with an amazing view, or else something that you add, like artwork.

Consider the size of your walls. If you are looking to hang a small piece, avoid hanging it on a large, open wall. However, if you group a number of small pieces together, they can give the impression of being one larger piece, and can therefore look nice on a large wall.

Think of the lighting. Make sure that the wall you are considering isn't hit directly by sunlight. Sunlight can damage your beautiful artwork, causing it to fade and crack. Instead, hang your artwork on a shady wall, and add artificial lighting to draw attention to it, if possible.

Consider the placement of your furniture. If you are going to reposition any furniture, do it now. Furniture placement will affect where you hang and how high you hang your artwork. A picture hung above a piece of furniture should not be wider then the furniture itself, but it should be about half the length of the furniture. Take care that the art is not too close to the furniture or too high above it- typically there should be an eight- to ten-inch gap between them.

Decide on the number of pieces you'll display. One large painting can be a very nice focal point for a room, but clusters of art can also be quite appealing. Even numbered groups create a calming and organized effect while odd numbered groups are considered more visually interesting. Neither choice is right or wrong; it simply depends on the room and your personal style.

After making the above decisions, take craft paper and trace your piece (or pieces) of artwork on it. Trace around it and cut it out. Take the template and tape it on the wall (masking tape is usually best). Don't worry about getting it completely level, that will come later. Leave it there for a couple of hours; walking in and out of the room will help you decide if you like that placement. Keep in mind that the standard rule is to hang pictures at eye level. Take into account the purpose of the room; if you are hanging the art in the dining room or living room, consider that most the time guests will be sitting, making "eye-level" considerably lower than in a hallway.

If, in a few hours, you are still happy with your template placement, take out your measuring tape and your hammer and nails and work out those particulars. In no time you will have a spectacular new focal point for your room!

Decorating with Decision, Not Doubt After all this talk of choosing pieces and displaying them correctly, remember that the first step in beginning to decorate is courage. "Where the rules of real estate are location, location, location," says Mott, "the rules of decorating are courage, courage, courage."

Many people put off decorating with colors or themes they really love in anticipation of an uncertain future: three years from now, when a transfer is likely, or five years down the road, when they hope to build their dream home. If you worry your taste won't be the same as the person who will "really" be living in your home someday, just remember: a can of neutral paint can do wonders for upping your resale value, and paint isn't expensive.

In the meantime, go ahead and make your home yours. Don't be afraid to create a space of joy and beauty that reflects your family's unique style and personality. There's no time like the present to start enjoying the home you have now.

Something more . . .

Smart Art Artwork helps fill our homes with beauty and joy, but did you know it can also improve our minds as well?

According to a recent "Thinking through Art" three-year study conducted by Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, looking at fine art on a regular basis helped children improve five critical thinking skills: observing, interpreting, associating, problem solving, and flexible thinking.

During the study, students in third, fourth, and fifth grade made regular visits art museums. After three years of visits, researchers determined that students participating in the study spent twice as long discussing each piece of art as other students did, and they were more likely to offer evidence to support their ideas.

Adults can also benefit from artwork. According to recent studies, men and women who displayed art they loved at work and at home enjoyed lower stress levels than those who did not. Researchers theorize that employees with art felt more comfortable with their surroundings and more in control. And people who decorated their homes with art were more likely to invite friends over, improving their social life.

Framing 101 You've picked out the perfect piece of art. But how do you go about framing it?

Rule number one: don't go cheap. Frames can be pricey, but using a cheap frame is going to cheapen the look of the artwork itself. You don't need to use the most expensive frame available, but try to buy something nice and classy.

Keep in mind that the color of the frame doesn't necessarily need to match the colors of the painting. A frame should complement the colors, not overpower them or blend with them. Pull out a medium shadow tone featured in the painting and consider using a similar color for the frame. This will enhance subtle elements of the artwork.

The frame must complement the room in which it is hung along with the picture it is going to frame. If your room has dark furniture, plush rugs and pillows, and elaborate decor, you might want to choose a more ornate, possibly even gold-colored frame. If your room is on the other end of the scale, such as a sleek contemporary style, use bold black or silvery tones. In a casual, homey room, consider using wood frames or frames in warm tones.

If you like modern art, a gallery wrap is probably your best option. A gallery wrap is a canvas which has been stretched over the edges of a frame and stapled on the back, so that the hardware isn't visible on the sides. The final result is a finished, frameless painting with a crisp, contemporary look. However, if this is the look you are going for, you will need to take it to a professional, as this type of framing requires special tools.

Family Work Day

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:00:00 -0600

by Alex Gentry
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: As a couple with young children, it was always difficult for my wife and me to finish home improvement projects around the house. One of us was always caring for the kids while the other tried to paint, rake, hammer, or mow as quickly as possible. Some of our projects seemed insurmountable with just the two of us. Then a neighbor introduced us to the concept of "family work day." Our yard was in pretty bad shape. It was to the point that the kids could play safari in our unruly grass without stretching their imaginations too far. The flowerbeds hosted a wide variety of unwanted wild plant life, and my four-year-old daughter was convinced that dandelions were the most beautiful type of flower in the world.

My wife and I set a Saturday aside to put the yard back together. We planned on devoting the whole day to fixing up the place. But our children had other plans. One of our rambunctious sons fell out of a tree, and my wife ended up taking him to the hospital to get stitches. After she left, I discovered a freshly painted masterpiece covering the walls of our entryway, and I spent the rest of the day inside, watching the kids very closely.

That evening we vented some of our frustrations to our new neighbor, Susan. When we had finished recounting all of our childrearing woes, Susan told us about family work days. Once a month, all of the members of her extended family who lived within driving distance would meet at one family's house and help them with a project. Someone would be assigned to watch the kids who weren't old enough to help, while everyone else worked on the project until it was finished. Time with extended family, work without distraction, completed projects in just a few hours? It sounded pretty good to me.

As soon as we got the kids to bed, my wife and I called all of the family we had living nearby. The next week, they flocked to our home with their rakes and shovels. We spent the afternoon attacking my jungle of a yard. When we had finished, I could barely believe that the neat lawn and trim flower beds had been ruthless vegetation a scant four hours earlier.

Since that day, we've had a family work day at a given relative's house every month. We've conquered all sorts of projects together. We have poured concrete, planted gardens, painted houses, laid sod, installed hardwood floors, raked leaves, and hung Christmas lights. If there was ever a time when the family didn't have a particular project, we all pitched in to give their house a good, thorough cleaning.

If you don't have family that lives nearby, try organizing a neighborhood work day instead. Ask around to find out who might be interested. My guess is that there are plenty of people who have projects they’d love to get help with.

Winterizing Plants

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:00:00 -0600

by LDS Living Staff
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Don't forget your plants as you make preparations for winter!

You take special steps to get your house, car, and kids ready for the winter, but what about your plants? When you start to reach for your jacket, make sure you take the following steps to help your green beauties:

Get rid of your annual plants (flowers, herbs, veggies) right away. Also, trim your perennials back to just above the soil. This will keep insects and disease away during the winter.
Non-hearty bulbs such as dahlias and gladiolas should be removed from the ground. Dry them, then store in a cool, dry place until spring.
After getting rid of any weeds or dead leaves, buy some tough compost and spread it over your beds to keep them protected from winter's unpredictable temperatures.
Put your potted plants in an unheated garage or shed - pots frequently crack in freezing weather. If your pots are too heavy to move, you can insulate them by wrapping them in bubble-wrap and covering the soil in compost.
Once your plants are settled, take the time to clean, oil, and sharpen your garden tools - it will make them much more pleasant to pull out in the spring.
Unhook and drain your garden hoses, then keep them indoors. This will lengthen their lifetime, and you can spend those extra bucks on new flowers next spring!

Food Storage 411

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:00:00 -0600

by Ashton Kelley
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Don’t know where to start on food storage? You’re not alone. Now it’s time to set aside the excuses and overcome the typical obstacles with a few simple tips. Preparing a one-year supply of food can be expensive and time consuming - not to mention frustrating. But never fear! Experts Donnie Saba, owner of food storage company Better to Be Ready, and Crystal Godfrey, food storage expert and author of I Can't Believe It's Food Storage, have helped identify what barriers people face in preparing their food storage and how to overcome them. While you may find yourself nodding along with these common problems and food storage misconceptions, if you use the tips that follow, you can make your food storage useful, affordable, and best of all, tasty!

Problem: Too Much, Too Fast

Many people get overwhelmed by the thought of accumulating the recommended amount of food storage. But don't confuse the goal with the first step. A one-year supply of food storage is not something that can be thrown together in one day. If you do it all at once, your wallet and your determination will both call it quits.

Solution: A one-year supply is something that needs to be worked on a little bit at a time. Start by purchasing a few extra cans of soup or jars of spaghetti sauce at the grocery store each week. Then, try purchasing a week's supply of food and gradually build your reserves from there.

Misconception: Food Storage Belongs in Storage

The majority of families who store food neglect to do anything else with it. It just remains in storage until it rots. They think that, once it is all put together, it will just sit there and be ready when that big emergency comes. If you want to have food storage that you can put together once and not worry about again for twenty-five years, store freeze-dried foods that have a twenty-five year shelf life. However, storing extra supplies of everyday foods are important, too.

Crystal Godfrey says, "People don't realize that emergencies happen every day. We run out of milk, forget to bring cookies to something, etc." Food storage is not a someday-useful space eater; it will prepare you for both the big and the small emergencies that come daily.

Problem: What Food to Buy

One of the big mistakes people make in their food storage is buying a full year's supply of one product at a time. For example, to start off, you might buy a one-year supply of ingredients for wheat bread.

Solution: "People get very tired of eating the same thing meal after meal for extended periods of time. Instead, they should buy a little of many different things so that there is more of a balance," says Donnie Saba. "If you don't know how or you don't like to cook, I recommend you go with freeze-dried food storage because it is the easiest to prepare - just add water!" Mill Harvest food storage has some delicious freeze-dried options, such as beef teriyaki, lasagna, and chicken a la king.

Misconception: I'll Have to Learn New Recipes to Use the Storage

When people imagine cooking with food storage, they think of cooking a meal of oatmeal and powdered milk. Very tasty. But don't be fooled into this notion! Preparing your own food storage is a great opportunity to make sure that if an emergency does come, your family won't have to adjust to a new diet on top of all the other stresses.

Prepare your food storage according to what you like to eat. If your family loves vegetables, buy vegetables that can be stored, and then incorporate those into your daily meals. If they love meat, you can buy dried meats that can be cut up and used in your meals. You don't have to learn any new recipes; just plan your food storage around the family favorites.

Misconception: It Never Tastes Good

Maybe you had powdered milk everyday as a kid and are forever tainted against food storage. But food storage meals have come a long way, and there are countless ways to spice up a meal cooked from food storage supplies. One way to do this is to keep your storage stocked with herbs and spices to give flavor to your meals. This way, your food will taste fresh and savory. "It is also a good idea to have some sort of candy, or ingredients to make your family's favorite dessert," Saba adds. A real catastrophe will be difficult to bear, and some goodies will help lighten the mood.

Misconception: All I Need Is Food

Don't forget about the most essential part of your meal - water! Humans have been known to survive weeks without food, but the body can only survive three to five days without water.

Be sure to consider water storage as you prepare your food storage. Water can be stored in thoroughly cleaned water bottles or in large blue water barrels. Make sure to store at least four quarts of water for each person, per day, through the full year. Replace water every six months.

Problem: Food Storage is Too Expensive

It's true that if you go out today and purchase a full year's worth of food for your whole family, it will be very expensive. But beginning an emergency supply of food doesn't have to be.

Solution: Find ways to earn your food storage. Saba says that his company will help you by giving you some food storage in exchange for hosting one of their Emergency Parties. (Visit bettertobeready.com to find out how you can host a party for your neighborhood and get free food storage products.)

Misconception: It Will Go Bad Before I Ever Need It

Your food storage won't do you much good if it is spoiled by the time you need it. What a waste, right? "It doesn't have to be," Godfrey says. She recommends that you cook with supplies from your food storage every day, and when you go grocery shopping, replace it. That way you are not spending very much extra money (buying food storage is like buying other groceries), and your storage will be good year-round, for years to come.

One system that could help you keep your food storage fresh is one that rotates your canned foods for you, so that you don't have to keep track of which cans are oldest. Using a system like this will help you use your food, and keep it fresh.

Problem: What if the Food Storage Doesn't Survive a Catastrophe?

This is a scary possibility that can dissuade you from trying to put together food storage. Why put in so much time and energy if it's just going to get lost in a flood or house fire?

Solution: Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone said, "Now what about those who would plunder and break in and take that which we have stored for our families' needs? Don't give this one more idle thought. Do you suppose [God] would abandon those who have kept His commandments?" ("Food Storage," Ensign, May 1976, 116). Don't fear for your food storage. Find relief in the knowledge that even through economic difficulties and natural disasters, your family will know where their next meal is coming from.

Misconception: I'll Start Once I Understand It All

Being the type of people to search out knowledge, we may have the desire to become experts at our food storage before we start. But don't forget that practice makes perfect. You probably will not become a food storage expert until you begin your system through trial and error.

Get out there and get the experience. That is how you will find out what works best for your family's storage needs. Stocking food storage is an ongoing process as you figure out what works, and you won't know what products will work best for your family's diet until you try them.

If you'd like to contact our experts with questions, e-mail Donnie Saba at ds@bettertobeready.com, or Crystal Godfrey at crystal.godfrey@gmail.com.

Some extra help . . .

Beating the Food Storage Blues

Two of the greatest reasons that food storage is intimidating are (1) cost, and (2) deciding what to buy. One way to avoid these stresses is to use the food storage calculator from Shelf Reliance, which helps you build your food storage piece by piece and figure out how much you need of each item. You can tailor it to your family's tastes and needs - it can even calculate how many calories each person in the family will require. Then, once you figure out what you want in your food storage, you can set up a "pay as you go" plan based on your budget. You decide how much you want to pay monthly, and Shelf Reliance will send you that amount of food storage. If you have a windfall and want to pay it all off, they offer that option; likewise, if financial emergency strikes, you can put the plan on hold. By using a system like this, you can prepare your supply and avoid overspending in the name of food storage. Visit shelfreliance.com for more information.

'Stitching' in Time

Fri, 22 May 2009 18:00:00 -0600

by LDS Living Staff
source: MormonLife.com

Ever wonder about a practical application for the phrase "a stitch in time saves nine"? Look around your house and you'll likely see plenty of examples - fraying rugs, torn blankets, even broken windows can apply. Start avoiding the extra work created by negligence and check out these tips for getting your house under control, and fast.

Take inventory of everything that needs to be fixed or replaced, then put it all on one big list, categorizing each task as either "fix" or "replace." Start tackling one to two tasks each week.
When starting a job, make a list of necessary materials and steps for completion. If you're repairing a blanket, you may need a certain color of thread or a certain size of needle, and if you're doing a bigger project, you will probably need to make a list of things to buy before starting.
Create a "fix-it" basket with commonly used tools, including scissors, nails, rubber bands, wood glue, tape, a hammer, a screw driver, spackle, and a clean cloth. Keep a simple mending kit in this basket as well, containing materials like small scissors, a seam ripper, different colors of thread, a few needles, and Velcro. This way, if you ever see something small that needs to get done, you can grab what you need and take care of it in minutes.
After your main list is done, keep a running list of repairs as you see them. Resolve to take care of simple tasks A.S.A.P., so that they don't make extra work for you later.

Prepping Your Garden

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 18:00:00 -0600

by LDS Living Staff
source: MormonLife.com

Here's a list of helpful chores to jumpstart your plants for beautiful blooming this season. Clean and Sharpen Tools: If you didn't do this during the winter, do it now. Clean, sharpened, and dry tools will prevent you from doing extra work. Three-sided bevel files work well for sharpening, as does steel wool (for smoothing). Deadheading: Get rid of spent flowers from bulbs, but be sure to leave the rest of the plant for now. Pruning: Prune early-blooming shrubs such as viburnum and forsythia as soon as their blooms have passed. Prepare Soil: Remember to fertilize and mulch your borders and beds. You should also consider fertilizing any fruit trees. Get rid of winter debris in your beds and remove heavy winter mulch if you applied it last season. Before you plant, break down soil at a level surface and cover the soil (with black plastic sheeting or similar) to warm the soil before planting. Lawn Care: This is an ideal time to start a new lawn from seed. If you already have a lawn, start mowing now, but don't cut the grass too short for the first couple of times. Have Fun!: Browse through seed and gardening catalogs to figure out what you want in this year's garden. For a sunny flower plot, you might try combining the Orange Sun Coleus, Million Bells Terra Cotta Yellow, and Red Verbena flowering plants (visit wilsonbrosnursery.com for more ideas). Or you can turn your regular flower bed into a summer fruit and vegetable bed. Some of the most successful fruits, vegetables, and herbs for beginners include strawberries, carrots, peppers, zucchini, basil, and rosemary.

Spring Cleaning Tips

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:00:00 -0600

by LDS Living Staff
source: MormonLife.com

The birds are singing and the flowers are blooming, but after a long winter, our homes may need some freshening up. Here are some tips for bringing new life to some common items around your house.

Cleaning Blinds

Try cleaning vinyl shades with dryer sheets. This removes surface dirt and reduces static cling, so dust won't collect as fast. For wooden blinds, vacuum with the soft-brush attachment and use oil soap to spot-clean.

Making Crystal Sparkle

For a streak-free shine, fill a spray bottle with a solution of one part rubbing alcohol to three parts water. Spray crystal and wipe it dry with a clean white cotton cloth. Use a cotton swab to reach crevices.

Dusting Collectibles

For detailed figurines and other knickknacks, a feather duster doesn't do the trick. Try using a paintbrush with long bristles to sweep dust from surface details.

Polishing Wood

Make furniture gleam by using a foam pad to apply furniture polish, then buff with a lint-free material like a cotton baby diaper or T-shirt.