Understanding rudimentary home electrical wiring and observing electrical safety precautions makes most repairs an easy task.

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Just relax and follow these easy home decorating tips to make your living environment uniquely you.

Home Decorating can be a little daunting, mainly because we don’t want to get stuck with something that’s ugly.

But, if you can just relax and realize that there is no right or wrong ways to go about this.

These easy home decorating tips will show you that a picture that is hung wrong, can be rehung, as well as, a wall that’s not the color that you want can be repainted.

Don’t agonize over it; no one is going to come to your home and grade you.

If you are on a tight budget, as most us are, then, you can approach home redecorating with a less (money) is more attitude. Instead of going out and buying new pictures and knick-knacks, try re-purposing what you already have.

For example, take an old side table from one room, paint it and give it new purpose in another room; an old telephone table in the hall can become a small beverage table in the dinning room, or a reading table in the living room.

A Few more easy home decorating tips:

Cover old picture frames with fabric. Gather up old picture frames that you just don’t have a real use for anymore. Cover these frames with a fabric that you like.

You can either go to the fabric store and choose something that appeals to you, or go through the house and find old curtains or other fabrics, like old dresses, scarves, tablecloths, napkins, or placemats.

Let your imagination go wild.

If you want to create a padded look to your new creations, place some batting between the frame and fabric. If you don’t have any, and most of don’t have batting lying around, make your own.

Use plastic grocery bags, by stacking as many as you want to achieve the puffiness you desire.

Cut or fold the bags into the shape you need; leaving the sides clear of ‘batting.’ Either hot glue the fabric to the frame or use a staple gun.

Hang the frames in an attractive arrangement on the wall. Several frames in a row, or random sizes placed randomly on the wall has eye appeal.

There is no right or wrong, so, arrange and rearrange as often as you like.

You can also use some of that fabric to make a new lamp shade and give your lighting new life. Use something bright and bold like I used on my table lamp from David Hunt lighting.

Re-purpose a bookcase, by turning it on it’s side. If it’s the right height when on it’s side, you can position it under a window to create a seating area. You can have a piece of plywood cut just a little wider than the case, to make sitting more comfortable, and screw it in place; then, line it with pillows.

You now have new seating and storage. You can even over the from with fabric to cover the opening.

These are just a few easy home decorating tips to get your motor running.

Go from room to room and look at things a different way; turn things sideways and upside down to get ideas. Just because an item isn’t working in the bedroom, doesn’t mean it deserves to be thrown onto the curb.

You can change an item completely with a can of paint and a little fabric.

And remember to have fun decorating.

The post Easy Home Decorating Tips appeared first on Japanese Momma.

Checking up on your baby at night can be a problem, though. The poor lighting means that you will need to set up you WiFi baby monitor to work best in those conditions. Here are a few tips to help you do just that:

Get A Baby Camera With Infrared Capability

The very first thing you need to do is procure a camera with night-vision capabilities in the first place. You will want to look out for cameras with IR LEDs – or infrared light-emitting diodes. The light these bulbs emit are virtually invisible to the naked eye but will show up on the WiFi camera’s instruments as they reflect off nearby objects.

Look For A Zero Lux Rating

The lux rating indicates the light levels wherein a camera’s night vision functions will still work. A zero lux rating means that the camera’s night vision will work even when there is absolutely no natural light present in the area.

Look For IR Cut Filters

If you plan to use your WiFi baby monitor for both day and nighttime purposes, then an IR cut filter is a must. This filter will automatically switch between working with visible light (i.e. sunlight, lamplight) and working with infrared light. This makes it easier to keep track of your baby even when someone flips the lights on and off at night.

Note The Maximum Distance Of The IR LEDs

This is a very important factor when hunting around for night vision cameras. You will want to pick out IP cameras that can work from at least 3 feet away. Three feet is just about right for baby monitors, as the camera will be far enough to prevent your average infant from reaching it. Older infants or even toddlers will need cameras that work from 10 feet. This is because they tend to be more mobile and can start crawling around (or even up) when they get curious.

Stabilize The Camera

This one is pretty straightforward: simply make sure that the WiFi baby monitor is secured on a firm and solid surface. Even slight movement can blur the image, so you’ll need to find a desk or shelf that won’t wobble around. Some models come with clamps or bolts to help secure them in place.

Periodically Clean The Lenses

It is very important that no dust or smudges get on the lens of the wireless baby monitor. Even tiny smudges and dust particles will be blown up when the light from the infrared LEDs hit them. The result: bright splotches that obscure what the digital camera captures.

Don’t Let Dust Build Up On The Camera

It is especially problematic when dust gets inside the lens or the protective layer covering the lens. Not only will the same bright splotches obscure camera footage, but it will be significantly more difficult to get them out. Make sure there is a gasket or protective dome that prevents dust from getting inside the protective layer covering the lens.

Keep these tips in mind when selecting and setting up a WiFi baby monitor – they’ll help ensure that you get the most out of them!

The post Improve Night Footage From A WiFi Baby Monitor appeared first on Japanese Momma.

Many men and women are doing the DIY projects to save money myself included, however they should be done safely which is why I decided to share this.

1. Plan your project by jotting down or using the computer to closely look at all the aspects of your DIY project before you even start. This will give you a time frame from start to finish to determine what time is needed. Give yourself plenty of time to complete your tasks since rushing sometimes leads to unsafe conditions.

2. Consider whether you will need a second person to safely complete your task you are going to do. If using machinery, you might just think about having someone to be with you for the use of those tools. Or if it’s really complicated, try finding some carpenters in townsville.

3. Gather all your equipment so you won’t be stressed out by running back and forth to the store for supplies. A DIY project should be fun and can be accomplished better with everything organized from the beginning.

4. Read labels and follow all directions the manufacturer mentions. They are placed on the products and equipment for your safety. Short cuts should not include omitting important statements during your DIY project.

6. Your environment is important to consider when doing your DIY project. Safety recommendations for ventilation are really vital to adhere while doing all your steps. You might have to consider weather conditions to keep your safety in check.

7. Inquire from other DIY people online to find out what pitfalls and dangers they encountered. You can learn from others mistakes and not make them on your project.

8. Talk to family members or friends that have done a similar project to gain knowledge of how to do your task easier and better too.

9. Take needed breaks during the entire time you are working on your project. Being sleepy or not being well rested can lead to mistakes and sometimes a breach in safely performing project tasks.

10. Keep a record of the problems you encountered to help others or yourself in another DIY project in the future.

The post DIY Projects Done Safely appeared first on Japanese Momma.

IDEAL HOUSE (/LOT) SHAPE

The ideal shape for your house or your lot is rectangular or simple square. Irregular shapes for these things make it difficult to pinpoint the center, and thus may cause your chi or lucky energy to weaken. The simpler the shape of your house, the better.

LOT SHAPE (Geomancy)

Avoid irregularly shaped lots. Odd angles can mean trouble, as it has adverse effects on health, and, indirectly, even fortune. If you should have a lot with many corners, or are triangular in shape, consult a professional geomancer for specific tips on how to counteract such bad chi.

FLOOR PLAN (TOILET & PUBLIC DRAINAGE PIPE)

Check out the floor plans of the house or apartment you want to build or purchase carefully. Make sure the toilet is not located at the center of the house (even on the 2nd floor or 3rd floor). Also, make sure no public drainage pipe passes underneath your house, as this drives away good luck.

CENTER POINTS

Take care that you do not clutter the center point of your house, lot, or living room. In feng shui, the center point is like a person’s heart, bringing life and energy. Do not put trees, posts, or garbage on this spot to ensure smooth energy flow in your home.

OPEN SPACES & EVEN PANELLING

Make sure that your open spaces in the house and in your yard or garden is free from clutter. Open spaces encourage the flow of chi, while clutter suffocates it. Another way to ensure good energy flow is to keep the paneling design of your front gate even in measurement.

THE GATE & PERIMETER WALL STONES

Find another way of securing your gate other than placing a barbed wire over it, as it may diminish the flow of good luck. Also, avoid using varied sizes of stones for your perimeter wall (like those used for decorative purposes), as this may limit good energy flow.

PERIMETER FENCE

Your perimeter fence should allow for enough space and openness within your property. Take care that it is not too close to your house structure, or that it is not higher than the house itself. Keep the fence’s height regular, so as to maintain a constant level of good fortune as well. Home buyers in Houston prefer homes with fences for security.

GARAGE & DRIVEWAY

When planning out your house, make sure that your garage is not located over the house septic tank. Furthermore, avoid placing the driveway (going inside from the road into) front of the main door, as this may drive bad chi into your home.

MAIN DOOR (OUTSIDE)

The main door of your house should not face the main gate, tree, or post, as these objects block the flow of good chi into the home. Having a door face a septic tank, cross of a church, a funeral parlor, or police station, can cause bad chi to flow into the house instead.

I hope you like these quick Feng Shui tips and I hope it gets you interested in the subject. I have a few more articles on Feng Shui so look around!

The post Feng Shui Architecture appeared first on Japanese Momma.

I have to say it is absolutely stunning and I’m more than a little bit jealous.

It’s not just the lovely appearance on the outside either, the rooms are perfectly proportioned with high ceilings and lots of natural daylight, and the place is crammed with original features.

I am guessing that our friends will be spending lots of time at reclamation yards over the coming months kitting out their pride and joy with lovingly restored treasures.

And I can’t even imagine how much they paid. Just look at the listings for some Oak Forest homes for sale in the same neighborhood, these homes aren’t cheap!

One of my favorite things about properties from this era is that the bedrooms have fireplaces.

There is something so cozy and romantic about peaking over the duvet at a roaring fire from the depths of double beds whilst outside the world is cold and snowy!

Choosing a fireplace for your bedroom is only really advisable in a period property otherwise it might look slightly odd. Any room without a chimney breast in fact may well look strange with a fire in it – particularly on the first floor.

To pick the best fireplace for your bedroom then start by working out what is most appropriate for your house. Different styles of fire will work better with certain types of chimney so make sure you consult an expert.

If you are trying to retain the integrity of the property as well then go for a fireplace which matches the style prevalent in the period which the house was built in and get an original model if at all possible.

Make sure you position furniture carefully too – that gorgeous new wooden bed frame from Bensons For Beds will not look great with an unsightly scorch mark down the side of it!

A fireplace can make a bedroom perfect so choose wisely and enjoy the results for years to come.

The post Fireplace Romance appeared first on Japanese Momma.

Even if I can’t afford the time to take a whole day, even a few hours can completely turn around my entire week.

And you don’t need to have a special occasion to go either.

There’s nothing like getting a great massage, a nice deep cleansing facial and your nails done all while wearing a nice comfy thick robe and drinking cool teas.

And I’ve been lucky enough to go to quite a few different spas.

And I can tell you that the quality of each can sometimes be extreme.

So how do you know if a spa’s good?

Obviously the best source is just ask your friends where they go. Although many times am pretty surprised how many of my friends actually don’t even go to a spa.

I guess they think it’s really expensive. But it’s not as expensive as you would think.

And trust me, the cost is well worth the experience.

So if you don’t happen have any friends that go to spas and give you a good recommendation, the next best thing is going to be to use the Internet to find one.

Let’s say for example am looking for spas in Leesburg VA.

All I would do is open up Google and Google spas in Leesburg Virginia.

Now you’re probably going to get quite a few listings depending on how big the city is where you live.

So that’s the first step. The next step is to see if there are any reviews of each of the spas around your area.

Take a look at the reviews and see what people are saying. Try to understand that the real reviews as well. There’s nothing like seeing a place that has 10 great reviews and going there and having the worst time of your life. That has happened to me once. So I’m serious about that.

After you find a few that look good, give them a call and see what their prices are like.

See what kind of services they offer them what’s included and what costs extra.

Sometimes spas will list fees that are like massage $65 an hour, but when you get there and asked for something like a Swedish massage, you find out the Swedish one is $100 an hour.

So be very specific when you’re asking questions.

Another way to look at different spas is to do just that. Take a look at them.

Drive by and see what they look like.

Not being superficial or anything, but if I drive by a spot it looks like an old broken down wood shack, I doubt very much that they are going to be anything I’d like to do business with.

A nice spot should look nice as well. Well cared for and clean. If not the chances are your experiences going to be equal to the way the place looks.

And don’t think you have to go to the most expensive looking place either. Just something that’s halfway decent, clean and they seem to have friendly staff can be one of the best days at the spot you ever had.

Hope this doesn’t seem like too much to do. In the end it’s really worth it. After all, your sanity may be on the line.

The post How do you find the best spa? appeared first on Japanese Momma.

Since the last article was about the beginning of life, this article is going to be about the end-of-life.

What I’m talking about here is the idea of having your ashes shot out into space after you perish.

Now that might seem a little weird and I guess it is to appoint.

But how cool would that be? To have your ashes literally shot out into space and the float around for all of eternity?

In the Japanese tradition most people choose to have their bodies cremated anyway. The only part that’s actually different is that instead of putting the ashes in an urn and putting it in a small burial space , you would just give your ashes to the company and they will put them on a rocket and send them out to space.

From there your ashes would be  jettisoned into the atmosphere. Although I don’t think you call it an atmosphere since there is no atmosphere, but I have no idea what the word would be.

And you don’t even have to give them all the ashes. You can just choose to give them a little or all of them. It’s totally up to you.

Although this is one of many cool funeral memorial ideas I’ve seen, I don’t know if I would actually do this.

In the Japanese edition the ideas you have a kind of family crypt. This is where not only you but your ancestors come to pay their respects and remember you.

And that brings me to another point, if you shoot all your ashes up into the sky then how’d does somebody actually pay their respects?

I guess this could come as to ways. Either the idea that every time they look up at the sky it’s kind of given you or respect. Or on the negative side, there really is no way.

Not only that, our traditional tomb sweeping day would be pretty difficult when there’s no tomb.

If you don’t know what tomb sweeping day is, it’s an Asian holiday where you’re living family members go to your ancestral resting places and literally sweep the tomb.

You clean the tunes up, plant flowers and burn incense.

You remember your ancestors and pray.

It’s actually a pretty cool holiday. And one that I try to keep alive even though I’m living in America with my family. I just think there’s some traditions that you should try to keep the matter where you’re from or where you live.

So if I did have my ashes shot out into space on a rocket, I think I would only give them a little bit. I would still want some to be placed in an urn so that my future family can at least remember me from time to time.

The post Shooting My Ashes into Space? appeared first on Japanese Momma.

My baby’s star certificate. After today, our son officially owns one of the stars in the galaxy.

Now I know you’re probably wondering what this is all about?

All the walls in our house have either pictures of our family, paintings or some kind of certifications or certificate of achievement.

And they really make the house feel homey and “ours”.

It was my husband’s idea to think about how we could decorate the walls of our son’s room with something that he isn’t going to grow out of in a few years.

So rather than pictures of pink pandas and Winnie the Pooh, we wanted to begin decorating with something that would last for years and years to come.

And that’s when my husband said something about wouldn’t it be cool if we could give him some sort of certificate for something.

Honestly I thought it was a dumb idea!

But he started searching the web for the word certificates and found the website about how to buy a star, get it named after you and get a certificate of ownership.

After he showed me a picture of what the certificates are supposed to look like, I started to get enthusiastic about the idea as well.

I like the whole idea of a star named after our son. It’s just such a positive image.

And I also like the idea of him waking up to that image every single day for as long as he lives in our home. And it’s not like it costs that much. So we went with it.

And today we got our star ownership certificate in the mail.

I have to admit, it looks pretty cool. It really does look official.

We are going to go out later on today to a frame shop to get it professionally framed.

We don’t mind spending a little money to make this a really special gift for our son.

And like I said, this is something that’s going to hopefully hang on his wall for very long time to come.

Who knows? Maybe it will inspire him to become an astronomer. Or even an astronaut.

The futures coming pretty quick. Maybe by the time he’s my age there really will be spaceships shooting around the galaxies. You really just don’t know.

And maybe just a simple little gift could really be what inspires our son to literally reach for the stars.

Just that thought makes me feel warm inside.

What about you? What is hanging off in your child’s walls? And do those images inspire them at all?

It really is something the think about.

Let me know, just leave a comment below. I’d really like to know.

The post Getting a Star certificate for My Baby appeared first on Japanese Momma.

“These are interrelated, of course. Seventy million women and the children who depend on them are living in or on the brink of poverty in America. Among industrialized nations, the U.S. has the largest number of homeless women and children.” – you can check out the article here.

I think that’s just insane. You would think with all our technological advances and all the money that is floating around in America, we wouldn’t be keeping our women and children homeless.

But it brings me to a bigger point. I think one of the biggest problems is simply the breakdown of the family in America.

Think about it, how many families actually sit down and eat dinner together at a dinner table? How many families go out on outings together once the kids are passed puberty?

And worse, how many children still take care of their parents when their parents are old and retired?

There just doesn’t seem to be anything about close knit families anymore. Everybody scrambling to do their own thing. That includes the kids as well as the parents. And with less time because parents have to work, or they’re just selfish and party, or for whatever other reason, it just seems that families are spending less and less time together.

I do remember growing up when it came down to dinner time, everybody was at the table helping get the silverware put out the plates and all of that.

Often times today when I call my children to dinner, they just wanted grab a plate of food and run back to whatever they were doing. Whether it be watching TV, playing on the Internet, or playing some stupid game on the iPhone.

And when I do actually make them sit down around the table and turn everything off, I’m finding it harder and harder to get them to talk about their day as they grow older. Their answers are becoming shorter, less revealing, and typically just cookie-cutter types of answers. Like they’re just saying what I want to hear.

I’m trying to respect my children’s privacy, but I really want them to understand the importance of family. I mean if you don’t have family, what do you have? Even if you’re rich, money really can’t buy love. Especially the level of a family. That’s me is the most priceless object in the world.

I’d be interested to know what you guys think about this. Does your family sit down around the dinner table like you see in the old Waltons episodes? Or is it more the hectic scenario I just wrote about above?

I’d love to know.

The post America’s Women Are Homeless appeared first on Japanese Momma.