Adirondack Patio Furniture

Feng Shui - Positioning your Office for Success

Would you believe that you can position your office and office furniture in a way that positively affects your success and efficiency? Check out these Feng Shui tips for positioning your office for success!

The best position for your home office is facing south - this governs your fame area. Or, you could position your home study facing northeast - this governs your education and knowledge area. If these positions aren’t possible, try placing your desk in a south or northeast corner.

The best position for your desk is in the corner that is diagonally opposite the office door. You want to be able to see the doorway and who is coming into the room. If you sit with your back to the door you’ll always feel threatened. Of course, in my home office my desk is diagonally opposite the office door, but my back is to the door. The way I solved this problem was to position a mirror at my desk so I can see the doorway behind me -- now my husband can’t sneak up on me anymore ;-)

Have a wall behind your chair, rather than a window, for symbolic support. If you have no choice, keep the blind down. Don’t sit too close to the door, because it will make you feel unprotected and as if you’re losing control.

There are a few other things that will help to position your home office for success. Clear the effects of electromagnetic stress from your computer by taking frequent breaks. Plus you can place a clear quartz or rose quartz crystal next to it to absorb negative emissions. Peace lilies and a cactus called Cirrus peruvianus will also absorb emissions.

Reprint permission: You're welcome to re-print this article as long as the following guidelines are met:
* Each article must remain complete and unaltered.
* Send me a copy or link to your reprint at jean@vaofficesolution.com
* The following paragraph and copyright notice is listed:
"Reprinted with permission from Jean Hanson, Virtual Assistant (Copyright © 2002, Jean Hanson, VA Office Solution, http://www.vaofficesolution.com). To subscribe to Jean's free newsletter, Office Solutions, visit her website."

This article courtesy of http://www.adirondackpatiofurnitureidesigne.co.cc/.
You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.

10 Home Decorating Ideas To Quickly Update Any Room

Not all home decorating ideas require a heavy investment of time and money. If you're looking for a few affordable home interior decorating ideas to freshen up a room over a weekend, try these ten:
1. Rearrange The Furniture- Pull your furniture away from the walls. Try positioning it at intriguing angles. For example, a sofa arranged diagonally across a narrow living room will make the room look wider.
2. Paint A Wall- Paint one wall your favorite color and make it the focal point. Hang interesting art on that wall and move a nice piece of furniture there. (Note: Make sure that the color is one that is shared with several other objects and fabrics in the room.)
3. Bring In Plants- Greenery always adds a breath of fresh air to a room. If you don't have a green thumb, try silk plants and trees. The quality has gotten so good that its hard to distinguish them from the real thing.
4. Lay An Area Rug- An area rug is a wonderful way of defining a conversation area. Try one that complements the room. Lay it at an angle beneath your coffee table.
5. Hang Pictures or Mirror- Hang pictures that reflect your personality. Try frames that are more ornate. When hanging a mirror, try and position it so that it reflects and nice view or an interesting architectural element.
6. Group Figurines- Pull out your favorite collectibles. Show off your personality. Find a display area and group related objects together, in sets of three or five. Try and vary the shapes.
7. Add Decorative Pillows- The good news about decorative pillows is that they are an easy way to add textures and patterns to a room. Still better, they can be changed to jazz up a sofa or chair before your room is ready for a major makeover.
8. Replace Lamps- Lamps are probably the one thing in your home that will give others a clue that your room is outdated. Seek out new and fresh lamps that make a statement.
9. Add A Throw Or Afghan- Similar to decorative pillows, throws and afghans add texture to your furniture. They come in all kinds of natural and man made fabrics. Find a pattern and style that you like.
10. Eliminate Clutter- Clutter has a way of eliminating the desired mood and effect of any room. Find storage spaces for papers, toys, and other items that take from the personality of a room.
If you have a decorative mirror or lamps in mind, I recommend that you check out Bellacor. They have a wide and interesting selection of both.
For area rugs, you'll find a mind boggling collection of all types, colors, sizes, and patterns at ifloor. Check out Bellacor's quality rugs as well.
For figurines and vases, you're certain to find something you like at Go Collect. And for quality prints and posters, browse through All Posters. They'll even frame your choice.

How To Stop Your Cat Scratching Your Furniture - Forever!

Your cat scratching at your furniture can not only leave you out of pocket but also very frustrated and annoyed at your cat for being such a bad little kitty. Cats need to scratch, it is something that cats instinctively do, not as you may think, in order to sharpen their claws, but to remove the old layers of their nails.

Do not punish your cat for scratching, or for anything you see as bad cat behavior. Punishment is unlikely to have any beneficial effect whatsoever. Your cat simply will not understand if you try to punish her in any way for something she has done, cats do not relate punishment to the "crime", they are far more likely to relate the punishment to you!

Even cats that are allowed outdoors will sometimes scratch your furniture, although not as often as indoor only cats. Trees are the natural scratching surface for cats, and to a cat that is kept inside the arms and legs of chairs, and other furniture, sure seems like a suitable alternative!

The most common answer to this cat scratching problem is, of course, a scratching post, or even two. A great variety of posts are available from pet stores and online pet suppliers. They are fairly simple things to construct, but if you do make one yourself, be certain that there are no nails or other sharp things left sticking out to snag your kitty. And make sure that the base is heavy enough, if it falls over your cat will not want to use it again. Cover the post with rope rather than with carpet, the last thing that you want to do is give your cat the message that it is OK for her to scratch carpet!

Ensure that the scratching post is tall enough for your cat, cats like to stretch when they scratch it exercises their muscles. Spread cat nip on one of the platforms to make the post even more attractive to your cat, and attach a few toys to the post so that they hang down temptingly.

If you just put a scratching post down in front of your cat, what is she going to make of it? It may look like a good place to scratch and claw, but then she has been mildly admonished for scratching at things. You may have to teach your cat that it is OK to use the post, that it will not upset you, that scratching the post is what you want her to do.

Every time that you see your kitty about to scratch your furniture, pick her up and gently place her in front of the post. If she decides to use it give her plenty of praise and encouragement. Cover the furniture she scratches with some netting, or aluminum foil. Your cat should soon learn that it is unpleasant to scratch furniture, but great to scratch her post.

If your cat is in the habit of scratching wooden furniture, or doorjambs then strong smelling polish, or vinegar are often good deterrents, if you try the vinegar, check that it won't harm the surface of the wood. Some cat owners report that half an orange or lemon place by the problem has good results. Do not remove the disagreeable smells or covering from your furniture until your cat has been using her scratching post for about a month.

If your cat is a horizontal scratcher rather than vertical one, in other words she scratches up your carpet or expensive parquet flooring, try persuading her to use a piece of rush matting, tape the matting down to prevent the mat moving.

What ever you do to solve your cat scratching problem, do not even think of declawing, it is barbaric.

About the Author

Larry Chamberlain is a lifelong lover of cats and lives in London England. He is the webmaster and owner of http://www.best-cat-art.com. If you have a pet related web site and you wish to reproduce the above article you are welcome to do so, provided the article is reproduced in its entirety, including this resource box and live link to http://www.best-cat-art.com.
Larry@best-cat-art.com

Make Room For Happiness

Close your eyes and visualize this. (Ok, bad idea...since you can't read with your eyes closed). So instead, just clear your thoughts for a minute and get this picture in your head.

I've been painting my den. All the furniture is crowded together in the middle of the room. I expertly (yeah right) organized the space where we could get to the couch to watch TV...except of course anything we need, which is always seems to be clear across the room. It's jumbled, and crowded, and out-of-sync. Nothing's easy, nothing's within reach, and I spend way more time doing simple things than I normally would.

Sound familiar? That's a very accurate description of Everyday life for many people. A crowded up, jumbled up, not-in-sync quadrant of time and space.

Not a pretty picture. Now imagine that you wanted to ADD something to that space. Maybe you really really wanted a new couch, or new TV, or even just a new rug. It would only crowd things that much more. It would only make you more uncomfortable, and out of sync.

As a Life Coach, people come to me every day wanting to ADD something to their lives...starting a new business, finding a relationship, writing a book. But their lives are like my den...crowded and "unfunctionable". Adding something would only make them more uncomfortable than they already are.

If you want something new and different in your life, you must first make ROOM. Make room for happiness by moving OUT the old.

Where do you start to begin to make room for happiness?

1. Time. How do you spend your time? Is it wasted time, or refreshing time? Are you consciously spending time, or just letting it happen?

2. Environment. What no longer is working for you in your environment? Are there unfinished projects that were important at one time, but no longer intrigue you? When you look around, does your environment make you feel good?

3. Relationships. What relationships are no longer effective to your happiness? Do the people in your life support you? Are you are proud to introduce them to others?

4. Thinking. Do you talk to yourself like your best friend? Or do you talk to yourself like someone who you despise? Pay attention to how you treat your mind.

5. Work. Do you feel fulfilled and happy about your work? Or do you dread going to work, and just count the minutes until Fridays?

Once you have made the ROOM for success, adding what you really want will give you pleasure and fulfillment. If you try to add it on top of what you already have, it will become just another source of aggravation. First, you must set up your life to support success.

Just as in my den, as I begin to rearrange the sofa and chairs, the rest of the room became easier and easier. So it will be with your life.as you change one part, each will be easier and easier.

Kathy Gates, Professional Life Coach, can help you restructure your life so that it's easier, more fun, and a more genuine expression of who you are. She is the author of an Ebook and several Email Coaching Programs available at www.reallifecoach.com, call 480.998.5843

13 ways to save your furniture from cat scratching

The cats are great pets. They love to play, they love to cuddle when you are watching TV or sleeping, and they purr for no reason other than being near you. But they also love to scratch. Unfortunately, the things they love to scratch are often the legs of your antique table, your upholstered sofa, or your expensive carpet.

Although many humans do not appreciate when their cats scratching, you have to know that kittens and cats do not scratch to make us angry, they just need to scratch. Scratching is a natural hardwired behavior in cats, just like breathing and purring, and every cat owner must know WHY THE CATS SCRATCH.

In the wild, cats scratch around their immediate environment to signal their presence to other cats and to claim the area in question. The marking takes two forms: visual and olfactory. The visual is in the form of clawing marks and is so obvious that even we humans can recognise it. The olfactory mark is subtler, involving the release of pheromones. These are substances secreted from the body to be picked up by the number of the same species, causing them to alter their behavior.

Scratching has additional function too. It removes the nail sheaths, outer layer of dead cells from the claw. You might thing your cat scratches to sharpen her claws, but it more likely it provides her with a form of physical therapy for the muscles and tendons of her paws.

There are two groups of target for every cat. The first one is when your cat target one or two areas in the home, usually near important territorial areas such as: sleeping area, litter tray, hunting or play areas. The second one is your cat undertake more widespread and destructive scratching in highly visible sites such as: doorways, windows, prominent furnishings - like sofas.

WHAT YOU CAN DO IF YOUR CAT SCRATCHING YOUR FURNITURE?

1. The easiest but the most painful method for cat is declawing. Faced with cat scratching problems, many people consider declawing surgery. But many veterinarians believe declawing is a painful and unnecessary surgery and refuse to do it for humane reasons. Instead, they advocate training your cat to use a scratching post.

2. Make sure there are multiple scratching opportunities. Cats often like to scratch after eating and sleeping, so be sure there is something to scratch near where they eat and sleep. A scratching post is an excellent investment for your cat. It will allow her to scratch, stretch and exercise all at once. If you want to provide your cat not only with scratching surface, but and places where she can climb, perch and sleep you should consider cat tree.

3. Cover the furniture with something your cat does not like: double sided tape, some plastic or aluminium foil. Some cats dislike the feeling and sound of foil, and most cats hate things that stick to their fur. Double-sided sticky tape used in carpet installation works well, but be sure the tape won’t harm your cat or furniture.

4. Keep your cat mentally stimulated and offers her plenty of opportunity for exercise, and she will has less opportunity to be destructive in your home. If your cat is frustrated and bored, she may scratch your furniture or tear your drapes. Give her enough play time. Cats are motivated by smell, sound, texture and movement. The toys you use should aim to cover all these aspects. Discover your cat’s preferences by presenting a variety different sized toy made from different materials and watch her reaction to gauge her preferences.

5. Cutting the nails regularly may help keep a cat from scratching the furniture, or at least reduce the damage done by its scratching. Get your kitten used to having its nails clipped while it is young, praise her while you clip the nail and reward her with a treat.

6. Booby trap the furniture with a soda can with some pennies in it, so that if cat scratches, it makes a noise.

7. Use a doorknob alarm on your curtains. When pinned to the drapes, the alarm will sound every time your cat tries to use curtains as a ladder.

8. Consider a window perch for your feline friend. It will give your cat hours of entertainment - especially if you place a bird or squirrel feeder in the garden outside the window. Be sure the window is closed so your pet won’t fall out.

9. When you catch your cat scratching furniture, try squirting her with a water pistol or squirt bottle and use a firm ‘no’. Of course, this won’t stop your cat when you are not around.

10. If your cat is gaining access to a high bookcase by leaping from a nearby chair, move the chair. Without her launchpad, your cat will no longer be able to reach her perch.

11. You can also try taping inflated balloons to the problem areas. When your cat pops one with her claws, she will avoid scratching there again. However, try this only when you are at home, so you can pick up the balloon pieces before your cat tries to eat them.

12. There are training devices that keep cats off forbidden areas by making annoying sounds. They are available at pet supply stores, catalogs and websites.

13. If your cat still scratches in appropriate places, use some sprays like bitter apple or actual orange peels, which are good deterrents.

All forms of physical punishment should be avoided since they can cause fear or aggression toward the owner, and at best, the cat will only learn to stop the scratching while the owner is around.

It does not matter which method you will choose to prevent your furniture destroying, every cat owner mush know that it is impractical and unfair to expect cats to stop scratching entirely.

The author Petar Petrov is founder of CozyCatFurniture.com. His site together with the cat furniture that offer, try to help people to make their cat’s life better. Visit the site www.cozycatfurniture.com take your free cat newsletter and learn more about Cat Cares, Cat Health, Cat Behavior, Training Cat and Cat Breeds.

Adirondack Patio Furniture

Feng Shui - Positioning your Office for Success

10 Home Decorating Ideas To Quickly Update Any Room

How To Stop Your Cat Scratching Your Furniture - Forever!

Make Room For Happiness

13 ways to save your furniture from cat scratching

Main Menu:

More Category:

Subscribe: