Remodeling ideas for your garage

What is the easiest way to add more space to your house? Of
course the answer is to remodel your garage. A very cost-effective
way to gain more space for your house is to remodel your garage.
You can greatly expand your home’s living space especially if you
no longer use your garage to park your car using your driveway
instead.  Remodeling your garage can help you become
more organized and stop storing everything in your garage. This is
why you have a basement.

Your garage offers a perfect environment to house your workshop,
studio or home office. Many people also find that their garage
can also be used for a gym or for another living room designed for
special activities. However, remodeling your garage does not
necessarily mean that you have to sacrifice your storage
space or your parking area. Garages today have become multifunctional,
allowing cars, general storage, a workshop and even a home office
all in the same place.

Because many garages are attached to the home they can benefit
from the same comfort as a home: phone wires, heating and
cooling and plumbing. All you need is a little imagination, a fixed
budget and a plan.

If you think that by remodeling you might be losing too much
storage space, you can always build a small storage space behind
your garage to house sporting equipment, tools and other items.

Moreover, when remodeling your garage you should consider an
addition above the garage. Adding a room for work space and even
for living, for one of your kids(they usually love this) above the
existing garage can give you additional space and also increase the
value of your home without major changes to the floor plan.

If you feel the need to remodel your garage but you don’t know
exactly what you want or need, you should consider the following
ideas.

You can transform your garage into a laundry room if you have your
laundry room in the basement. By building a laundry in your
garage you will eliminate the need to go up and down the stairs.

A music studio can be a great choice for your garage remodeling
plans if you or your kids have some tendencies in this direction.
The garage is the place where many “garage bands” got their start.
To avoid your neighbors’ complaints consider soundproofing your
garage walls.

Another idea for your garage can be to transform it into a gym. If
you have your equipment and you don not have enough place to
use it indoors you can always move it into the garage and have
plenty of place for your daily exercises and training. Also here you
will not be bothered by anyone.

A home-based after school program

So, your son's school does not offer any extracurricular activities. You
are worried of depriving your child of all that extra knowledge and fun.
What should you do?

After school activities need not be taught in a school-like environment by
professional teachers in a structured and timely manner. There is a lot
YOU can do to support your child's academic, physical and social
development. Do not be too concerned about formal programs, as many of our
children are already over-scheduled.

Obviously, school is top priority for children. They need to go to school,
and finish their homework. They should then do their daily reading or
writing work etc. This may take about 30-60 minutes. In the course of his
daily work, your child may develop certain academic preferences and
interests. In that case, you can try and find a program in a college or a
community center that will help him and encourage him. In the age of the
Internet, information is really not a rarity. Allow him to use the net to
find more information about thing that he likes. Encouraging the child to
do independent research to gain in-depth knowledge is something that no
formal program does.

If you are concerned about the lack of social life, enroll him or her in a
club - a reading club maybe. Visit public libraries or even the theatre,
if your child is interested. It is not necessary for your child to make
friends with children his own age. A parent-child book club is another
interesting option. If you can round up a number of like-minded children
and their parents, you may well start your own after-school program.

When there is no organized group activity, look to your community. Many
children love to get involved in social problems. They get their first
real taste of suffering, charity and community help from such experiences.
Volunteering for clean-up sessions, adult education programs etc could be
a real eye-opener for your child. The lessons thus learnt are invaluable.

If physical activity or the lack of it is your major concern, enroll your
child for some dancing classes. If organized sports are impossible to get,
try to enroll her in a gym. She may find friends there and may take to the
treadmill.

Your child does not necessarily have to be a part of an organized group to
benefit from after-school activities. There are various avenues open in
front of you. Roping in the enthusiasm of your children in daily household
activities like cooking, cleaning etc can also provide them with a
refreshing extracurricular experience. Moreover, it will improve family
ties too.

Internet Marketing Strategies that Won't Hurt Your Savings Much

Your new business will benefit a lot from various Internet marketing methods. But you don't have to spend millions of dollars just to get some decent exposure for your company. There are ways to make your business be seen and felt without doing overkill with your advertisement expenses.

Make use of your online power - through Internet marketing. Here are simple methods that you may employ to boost the visibility of your business without shelling out more than what you can afford. However, these techniques need patience and some footwork to produce agreeable results.

Firstly, you need a website before you can make use of these low cost Internet marketing strategies. So go create one or hire a web developer. It will display your products and services. This will be used in employing the following Internet marketing techniques.

1. Affiliate Marketing

This is the process of recruiting a network of smaller websites known as affiliates to drive targeted traffic to a website. Ad copy and links will be provided by the advertisers. You will have to pay a certain percentage of the sales profit to your affiliates.

2. Links

One of your goals should be to attain a good ranking with search engines. One way to do it is through link building. This could be done through trading links to other businesses that are related with yours.

3. Newsletters

Sending out newsletters to your subscribers (those who signed up for your newsletters) will help greatly in establishing a good working relationship with your customers or prospective customers. It has to be short, sweet, consistent and written for a general audience.

4. E-mail Marketing

As one of the best cost-effective Internet marketing tools, it stays as a very important method of keeping your customers aware of your products and services. Just make sure to avoid spamming or soon enough you will have to close down you business due to complaints.

5. Articles

If you put quality content in the form of articles in your website along with your products and services, search engines will have to index your website. Getting you website indexed by popular search engines means more traffic for you.

6. Forums

Expand your Internet network is through joining forums that mainly discusses stuff regarding or related to your products and services. Actively posting responses or answers and asking relevant information will build your reputation as that forum's member and boost your company's visibility through your signature files. These signature files are those that go with your every post. Links to your website could be included in this signature.

Wintergreen Resort Ski Vacation

Known as the single best ski resort in the South,
Wintergreen Resort in Virginia has quite a bit to offer
skiers. Featuring 11,000 acres with 19 trails,
Wintergreen has a top elevation of 3516 feet, with a
1003 foot vertical drop. Beginners, intermediates,
and experts will all find suitable trails at Wintergreen
Resort.

To accommodate skiers, there are six lifts, including
five chair lifts and one surface lift. There is also a
dedicated terrain park for snowboarding. The resort
is located near Charlottesville, Virginia, and you will
experience breathtaking views of the Appalachian
Mountains, and be surrounded by luxury that most
people only dream of. There is also a world class
golf course located near the resort.

Other activities include tubing, snowmobiling, tennis,
hiking, and horseback riding. The Out of Bounds
Adventure Center is a very popular attraction at the
resort with rock climbing and bungee trampolines.
The Outdoor Wilderness Leadership school offers
corporate retreats, real rock climbing, rappelling,
and mountain biking.

This is an ideal spot for a family vacation. You and
your children can participate in a variety of craft
workshops, enjoy campfires and storytelling, go on
hay rides, and enjoy many more community events
that are scheduled throughout the year. There are
many planned activities for families, including winter
hiking, skiing, snowboarding, tubing, and swimming
in a cozy indoor pool.

While vacationing at Wintergreen Resort, make time
to see the civil war history attractions, and visit the
local wineries as well. Also take time to enjoy the
Wintergreen Spa. At the spa, you can be pampered
with massages, body wraps, skin treatments, and
nail care. You can also visit the Mountaintop
Aquatic and Fitness Center which features the
latest in cardiovascular equipment, strength
equipment, heated pools, hot tubs, steam rooms,
and saunas.

The Wintergreen Performing Arts has many musical
performances throughout the year that are sure to
delight you and your family. If you are less interested
in culture, and more interested in nature, the
Wintergreen Nature Foundation is for you. This
foundation promotes the understanding and
conservation of natural resources that the Blue Ridge
Mountains are famous for.

No matter what your interests are, if getting away
from the hustle and bustle of city life is what you
want, this is the number one spot in the South for
fun, relaxation, and rejuvenation. The Wintergreen
Resort is open all year long, with activities that are
suitable for every season.

Get a Hobby Kit and Learn Something New

If you are tired of the ho-hum of life and would like to branch out a little, maybe you should get a hobby kit.  Many different hobbies have kits that can help a beginner learn about the hobby quickly and easily.  It is not easy to teach yourself some hobbies, but with a hobby kit, you can learn from the kit.

For instance, if you have been wanting to learn how to do a needlecraft, such as cross stitch or crewel embroidery, there is no better way to start than with a kit.  In a hobby kit, you will receive a piece of cloth with the design already stamped on, yarn or floss in the proper colors and possibly already cut to the proper lengths, and a needle.  You may even get an embroidery hoop in the kit.  When you buy a hobby kit, be sure to read on the package to see if any other materials or tools will be needed to do the hobby.

A hobby kit is also the best way to learn a hobby like building model cars.  In a model car kit, you will get all the pieces you need and detailed instructions.  In some kits, you might also receive paint, a brush, and glue, but read the label.  You might have to provide these things separately.

When choosing Christmas or birthday gifts for a young person, consider a hobby kit, such as a candle-making kit or a rock tumbling kit.  In the fall, the stores are full of kits that could start a kid on a hobby that would last throughout his life.  You can find small weaving loom kits, glycerine soap making kits, bead craft kits, wood-burning kits, and art kits.  There is a line of colorful books put out by the Klutz company that each gives instruction in a hobby and has a packet of materials for learning the hobby.  Some of the topics Klutz books cover are polymer clay modeling, hair styling, and pompon creations.  They are all cleverly written and lots of fun.

Another hobby that can be learned from a kit is starting garden seedlings, especially herbs.  A seed starting kit typically contains a pot, a small trowel, seeds,  fertilizer, and a greenhouse dome or cover.  Potting soil may need to be purchased separately.

When choosing a hobby kit, be careful to get one that is appropriate for the recipient.  Sometimes a hobby kit is quite challenging.  An example of a difficult project is an electronics kit for wiring one's own radio.  If a kit is a gift for a child and it is too hard, it will wind up gathering dust on some shelf.  In fact, it might gather dust even if you buy it for yourself!  Consider getting a smaller project that you can finish in a short time so you can get a feel for the hobby.  The next hobby kit you buy can be harder if you find that you enjoy the hobby and have a real desire to learn more about it.

School based after-school programs

In an effort to keep children motivated and safe, the U.S. Government
sets aside a good amount of fund for financing after school programs every
year. A report by the U.S. Department of Education and Justice points out
that after school programs are very effective and is in the interests of
the society as a whole. Interestingly, it was found that Americans liked
providing school-based after school-programs in their community.

Other than safety, boredom and loneliness, the poor performance of many
students also led to the need for after-school programs that are based on
the school curriculum. Children coming from low-income families were found
to lag behind in reading and grammar after a long break in the summer.
Statistics prove that if school-going children are left unsupervised after
their school, the chances of poor grades and drop out are considerably
higher. The funds provided by the Government will allow rural and
inner-city schools to provide activities during the summer, over the
weekends and after school. These activities will take place in a
drug-free, safe and supervised environment.

Positive augmentation of critical skills is the prime focus of these
school-based after school activities. Thus they enhance the skill level of
the child. Most school-based programs offer assistance in math tutoring,
reading, comprehension and problem solving. Many programs provide engaging
activities that seek to prepare the students for college. Hands-on
experience is provided for children who want to invest in a career in
teaching. Access to telecommunication and technology and involvement in
music and art are other benefits of these programs. This becomes
invaluable, especially in low-income sectors where such activities are
considered to be a luxury.

As far as children are concerned, the snacks provided in after school
programs are an added incentive. School sponsored after school programs
are entitled to receive funds for snacks. The National School Lunch
Program is designed to do just this. Free or reduced price snacks will be
provided for children from schools that apply for it. The CACFP reimburses
expenditure depending upon the child's income status. But this is
applicable only till the age of 13. The funding that schools get depends
upon the area in which they are situated. A low-income area gets more
funding. Supper can be served to children below the age of 19. Longer
programs can provide both supper and a snack. With the participation of
non-profit private organization, it is possible to feed deserving school
children breakfast, supper and a snack.

Ski Vacations – Learning How To Ski

If your family wants to go skiing on your next
vacation, but you don’t know how to ski, go ahead
and plan that ski vacation anyway! You can learn
how to ski, and you will have a great time doing it.
You don’t even need to know the first thing about
skiing before you arrive at the resort – all of the
knowledge you will need is there waiting for you,
and you can literally be skiing down a mountain
after an hour of instruction.

Learning to ski is really quite easy. Most resorts
have a ski school on the premises, and lessons are
reasonably priced. Group and private lessons are
usually available. It is a good idea, however, to
schedule an appointment before you arrive at the
resort. This will ensure that you can start learning
to ski the very first hour of your vacation.

Most ski instructors start by showing you how to
maneuver around with your equipment. When you
are wearing ski boots, you will be inclined slightly
forward – there is a reason for this…when you are
skiing down a mountain, you will be inclined
forward! Walking in ski boots the first time is a bit
difficult – but it works just fine if you learn to walk
with your knees slightly bent.

The first maneuver you will learn is called the plow,
or snow plow. This is a technique that is done by
literally using your skis as a snow plow. You make
the back of the skis slowing move outwards, away
from your body by applying pressure – and this stops
you. You guide yourself on skies by bending your
knees and leaning in one direction or another,
depending on which way you want to go. All of these
techniques can be learned in one hour, even if you
have never been on a pair of skis in your life.

The beauty of skiing is that after you have learned
how to snow plow, and how to guide yourself on the
skis, you are ready to ski! Get on the lift, head up the
mountain, and give it a try. Control your speed by
snow plowing – go slow at first. When you want to
pick up some speed, draw your skis back in to pick
up a little speed, then push them back out into the
plow position to control that speed.

As a beginner, you should stick to the trails that are
designed for beginners. At most resorts, these trails
are marked with a green emblem. Blue trails are for
intermediate skiers, and after one day of skiing the
beginner trails, you may be ready for those trails.
The black trails are for experts. These trails can be
dangerous for people who don’t have the skill level
to handle them! Avoid black trails until you have
had a great deal of ski instruction and experience.
You will know when you are ready!