Keep Leaky Faucets at Bay

Fixing easily corrected household water leaks can save homeowners more than 10 percent on their water bills. Shown here is one of Cifal's Watersense® certified faucet, the Techno 25.

According to the EPA, the amount of water leaked from U.S. homes could exceed more than 1 trillion gallons per year. That's equivalent to the annual water use of Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami combined.


For quick and simple ways to keep your home plumbing system in optimal shape, Cifial USA's plumbing expert, Art Gambill, offers these tips:

1. Remove debris from faucet cartridges - In cartridge faucets, debris collects in the cartridge over time that prevents the lever from stopping the water supply completely, allowing water to continue dripping through the faucet. You can prevent this from occurring by removing the cartridge from the faucet and cleaning any debris found inside.

2. Rid shower-heads of calcium - Shower environments are prone to calcium deposits - especially shower heads. Buildup on shower head flow restrictors create a trap for water that continue to leak after water flow is turned off. You can break down buildup with a home solution of 2 parts water and 1 part vinegar. This solution works by creating just enough acidity to dissolve the calcium and allow water to flow unobstructed.

3. Keep aerators free of buildup - Aerators, which filter water streams as they flow from faucets, can also become clogged with mineral deposits. Unscrew the aerator and clean any buildup to keep water from storing in the deposits and dripping through the faucet.

Bento Boxes

Are you hungry? How about a Bento box for lunch? AnnaTheRed makes delicious lunch boxes that are too amazing to eat. Take a look at these fantastic culinary arts.

Chalkboard Paint

Have you ever considered adding a Chalkboard to a room? It's a great addition for a children's room or perhaps a kitchen to keep those lists handy. With Benjamin Moore's Studio Finishes® Chalkboard (307) paint, you can turn any rectangular area into scribble space. The paiint is erasable, washable, and durable enough to stand up to lots of little hands.


Step 1 - Prepare Surfaces
Once you have selected the wall(s) for your chalkboard, clean the surface completely and repair any protruding nails or other imperfections.

Step 2 - Tape Off Your Chalkboard
Use masking tape to mark off a rectangular space for your chalkboard, and apply Studio Finishes Chalkboard (307) paint within the taped-off area.

Step 3 - Framing
Use decorative molding or a colorful painted border to give your chalkboard space an extra personal touch. Remember to include a ledge for chalk and erasers.

Helpful Hints

- In children's rooms, be sure to make your chalkboard low and large enough so that younger children can reach and have ample space.
- In your office or study, paint a chalkboard calendar with squares for dates. Then update your schedule with a swipe of the eraser.
- Try a chalkboard in the kitchen for shopping lists, phone messages, and easy recipe reference

Tips on Bathroom Lighting

When lighting a bathroom the first and most important focus should be on the vanity lighting. Ideally a vertical fixture should be hung on either side of the mirror. This allows for light to be evenly distributed across ones face. The fixtures should be mounted approximately 5.5’ above the floor (eye level), and 36-40” apart. This helps to eliminate shadows under the eyes and chin.
In situations where installing fixtures on either side of the mirror is not possible due to size and installation constraints the next best option is a light hung directly over the vanity. It should be hung 75-80” above the floor. In larger bathrooms the horizontal fixtures can be used in conjuncture with the vertical lights to give additional overall illumination to the space. A bare minimum of 150 watts of light should be used in lighting the vanity it is always safer to error on the side of too much wattage. In cases where the home owner finds that there is too much light either lower wattage bulbs can be used or a dimmer installed. It is always easier to reduce the wattage of a fixture once it’s installed that to figure out how to increase the amount of light if the fixture installed is inadequate.
For additional overall lighting and lighting in the shower and over the bath tub recessed is the ideal option. For the shower and tub make sure a wet rated model is selected. The only place recessed is not ideal is over the vanity, It has a tendency to cast shadows onto the face making personal grooming tasks such as shaving an make up application to be more difficult.
Some clients prefer a little more glamour over the tub and may request a hanging fixture such as a crystal chandelier, or pendant light. Make sure any hanging fixture you choose is UL approved for a wet rating otherwise for safety and code reasons should not be used in that application.

Peronalized Chocolate Heart

Chocolate is the first thing comes to my mind when I think about Valentine's day gift. They are often placed in a heart shaped box or moded into a heart shape. William Sonoma has Personalized Chocolate Heart. Each exquisite heart is individually hand made by a confectionery artist whose meticulous work requires three hours to complete. If you are looking for a special chocolate for your Valentine, this might melt that special someone’s heart.

Super Bowl Game

Super Bowl XLIV ! Good luck to New Orleans Saints & Indianapolis Colts !

Loft Chandelier

A new item from Z Gallerie, Loft Chandelier. I am not sure if I like the style, but it's interesting. It definately has industrial look to it.

"For hip, contemporary style, our sensational Loft chandelier delivers."