MOTIVATION

At times we all find it difficult to go on. There are times in our lives when we really want to call it "quits" because we just can't see any good results from all the hard work we've done.

So what are we to do at times like these? How do we cope?

Winners never quit and quitters never win as the old saying goes. But what if we're really exhausted physically, mentally, and most of all emotionally?

Here are some sources of motivation to prompt and assist you in reaching the peak of accomplishment, when your energy is at its lowest.

1) Imagine the Feeling of Attaining your Desired End
How would you feel after accomplishing your mission? Of course you would feel ecstatic. You might shed tears of joy. Let this tremendous feeling sink in and encourage you to persist despite all odds.

2) The Reward System - Make it Real and True to Your Goals
Reward yourself after accomplishing a goal. Set a particular incentive for every objective. Start out with small milestones and goals if this is new to you and work your way up.

Arrange for something gratifying to indulge in after completing a task that is directly related to your most important goals.

3) Harness the Powerful Force of Humanity
Surround yourself with the right kind of people who will support and encourage you all the way to success.

Be with people who have the same beliefs and aspirations as you. Positive energy is generated by this fusion of collective goodwill from people of "like minds."

4) Take Care Of Your Health
As Jim Rohn says, "You can't do good if you don't feel good."

Exercise regularly. Fill your brain with enough oxygen to allow you to do your daily tasks with more vigor and energy.

Take regular breaks if time allows. Having the willpower to continue despite all hardships is extremely important, but you should still know your limits.

Success and money won't matter if you don't have good health to enjoy it.

Fire up your motivation and live life to the fullest! You can do this. Focus on what you value most. Let nothing take you off your course. The prize goes to those who bring value to the marketplace and provide more value for the customer's investment. Know deep down inside you can and will walk away with all the success, happiness and prosperity you deserve.

Don Weyant

SAFETY SENSE

Preparing a meal in your own kitchen hardly seems dangerous – but statistics show it can be.

Here, according to safety experts, are the most common causes of those kitchen-related hospital visits and how you can help prevent them:

1. Knives.
More than half of all kitchen accidents are caused by knives. It's easier to cut yourself with a dull knife than a sharp one. You need to use more force, and a dull blade is more likely to slip. To protect yourself, sharpen your knifes frequently. You'll know a blade is sharp enough when it can slice through the skin of a tomato with barely any pressure.

2. Holding the fingers on your stabilizing hand straight while slicing.
This is dangerous because it exposes your fingertips to the knife. Bend your fingers at the knuckles.

3. Cutting boards that slide on the counter.
To prevent this from happening, place a damp paper towel beneath the board.

4. Damp pot holders.
These are dangerous because they conduct heat instead of shielding you from it. Always have more than one set of pot holders on hand so there will be dry ones ready for you to grab.

5. Cooking in long, loose sleeves.
In a recent five-year period, clothing catching fire during cooking was the most frequent cause of kitchen burns, so be sure to roll up your sleeves or wear short ones.

The kitchen hazard you never heard of: Nonstick pans (such as Teflon and Silverstone) can be dangerous in a surprising way. If accidentally left unattended and allowed to boil dry, these pans can get hot enough after 20 minutes to release enough toxic fumes to make your family and pets sick.

HELPFUL HINTS

Is your linen closet a jumble of sheets, towels and pillowcases? Here's how to turn your closet from cluttered to calm and make it hold even more.
 

Create topple-proof stacks.
Sheets falling into the hand towels? Beach towel tower toppling over? Try vertical shelf dividers to keep everything separate.

Fold for more room.
Neatly folded sheets and towels take up about 25% less space because they're more compact.

Know the trick to keeping it all together.
After you do laundry, sort sheets into sets for each bed, then store each inside of its pillowcases. This not only saves space, but your sheets sets are always kept together.

Free up at least half a shelf.
Bulky tablecloths take up a lot of room in the closet – plus they end up with a permanent fold crease down the middle. Hang them up instead. Use a skit hanger with spring clips and put them in a coat closet. Or mount a towel rack on the back of your linen closet door and hang them there.

Lose a shelf to find more space.
Most linen closets have pre-fabricated holes on the sides that allow you to move shelves around, so all you have to do is lift the bottom one out. You'll have room for a rolling drawer unit or dresser. Use it for napkins, hand towels and wash-cloths, and double your space.

TIP:
Natural herb sachets containing lavender, peppermint, thyme, or cloves give linens a fresh scent while repelling moths.

 
RELAXATION TIME

Shorter days during the winter months mean longer nights. Spending more time indoors and in the dark makes it easy to fall into the 'winter blues.'

Here are some lighting project ideas that will make the light at the end of the winter tunnel seem closer than you think.

Living room lighting
Lighting in the living room should be decorative and functional. Use lamps to compliment the height and size of your living room – tall lamps for small rooms and ceiling fixtures for high ceilings.

Back on track
Install a track lighting fixture and instantly boost overall light in the room. Track lighting allows you to isolate areas you would like the light to shine the brightest on.

Sky's the limit
The sun has an early curfew during the winter months. Skylights cut energy costs and create a refreshing feeling by reminding you the sun is still around during the cold winter season.

The right glow
There are two types of bathroom lighting; task and vanity. Place a light fixture above the bathtub or shower to avoid bathing in the dark. For the best results when putting on your face, light fixtures should be mounted on either side of the mirror to eliminate shadows under the chin, eyes or cheeks.

Walking on sunshine
Is it hard to find your way to the front door in the dark and even harder when there's snow on the ground? Install solar lights along your walkway to create a warm feeling during the dark winter nights and to make it easier to get to the front door.

INSPECTION INSIGHTS

During the winter, attic insulation prevents heat within the house from escaping through the ceiling and into the unheated attic space. During the summer, it reduces outside heat from radiating downward through the attic and into the house. All insulating materials work on the principle of trapping. They have millions of tiny air pockets to restrict heat that is trying to pass through.

The value of insulation is expressed in terms of R (RSI metric) values. In general, the thicker the insulation and the more tiny air pockets a material has the higher its R/RSI value and its ability to resist heat transfer.

Type of Attic and Roof Construction:
Gable and Hip Roofs – These are common and can be easily insulated by placing the insulation between the ceiling joists or bottom chords of trusses. A polyethylene vapor barrier must be placed under the insulation (warn side of insulation) to reduce any moisture entering the attic from the house.

Cathedral Ceilings
Due to the inherent lack of access cathedral ceilings cannot be fully inspected for insulation or ventilation. It is very important that adequate ventilation be provided in these roof structures. The best ventilation system is one that uses continuous ridge and soffit vents to vent each rafter bay.

One-and-one-half Story Houses and Mansard Roofs
These types of attics have several small sections that must be properly insulated in the vertical knee walls, on the floor of the small attic, on the sloping ceilings and on the top floor portion of the 1 1/2 story area. The outer attic is treated as a non-heated area and it must be insulated and ventilated.

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COMMUNICATIONS

Do you feel no email is complete without a smiley face, or do you prefer bold, direct statements? These kinds of choices reveal more than you know.

Email is more anonymous than face to face communication. We're less inhibited and often show sides of ourselves we may not even be aware of.

So what kind of talking is your email doing?

If you use a lot of shorthand,
you're a decisive pragmatist.

If you love happy faces,
you're a playful wit.

If you like all lower case,
you're a mellow charmer.

If you tend to customize your font,
you're a creative individualist.

If you write in a special color,
picking anything beyond black says your not shy about sharing your feelings.

If you are a punctuation maven,
you're a bubbly extrovert.


A WINDOW TO REALITY

1. Soak some pine cones.
To create bright yellow flames, pour 1/2 gallon of hot water into a deep glass or plastic bowl. Dissolve 8 oz. of table salt and add up to 10 cones. Soak overnight, place on newspapers until thoroughly dry, then toss one on your next fire. For white flames, use Epsom salts; for yellow-green flames substitute borax. Important: Use only one compound for color per batch.

2. Add Chips.
The scent of apples and cherries will fill the room if you simply place fruitwood chips (sold at garden centers and home stores) under your logs before lighting them.

Don't have a fireplace?
Simmer a mix of water and whole cloves, whole allspice and cinnamon sticks in a small pot on the stove.

Have a fragrant winter!

HOUSEWATCH MAINTENANCE

  • Soffit Vents are on the underside of the eave either as grills or the preferred continuous type. Soffit vents are used in conjunction with roof, gable or ridge vents.
  • Roof Vents are either round or rectangular and are cut in the roof near the top.
  • Gable Vents are louvered openings commonly used at the gable ends of gabled roofs.
  • Ridge Vents are cut into the ridge of a roof and are popular with a cathedral ceiling.
  • Power Ventilators and gable ventilators are equipped with a thermostat that turns on the unit when the attic temperature reaches a certain point and turns off when the attic cools.

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