It has been 8 years since we moved in to our home. When our house was being buillt, we were living in Oregon temporarily because of my husband's job. He flew back once in a while to check on the building progress. It also meant that he was the one who get to chose most of the hardware around the house like those for the kitchen cabinets, front door and others. Thank goodness I liked what he chose. It would be nice to redecorate the house and give it a fresh new look. Since money is tight for everyone nowadays, one way to redecorate your home and still save money is to change the
decorative hardware. You wouldn't believe the big difference it makes just by changing the kitchen cabinet door handles. I like these type of wood knobs I found at InvitingHome.com, the details are amazing. This site also has the type of crown moulding that I like. It's not the usual crown moulding you see at your local big box hardware store. These crown moulding has a lot of details. Adding crown moulding to a room makes it more beautiful. I've been wanting to have crown moulding added to the rooms in my house. They also have other Architectural products like pediments, door trim,
shutters, wall niches, wainscotting, etc. If you want to give a room a different feel or design, adding one of these will certainly give it a new look. Have you seen those rooms in magazines? Almost all of the rooms have some form of moulding, wainscotting or decorative hardware in it.
At InvitingHome.com, all these are offered plus this website also offer beautiful home furnishings like wood furnitures, frames, tables, fireplace accessories and more. Add to this long list are decorative lamps and other kind of home lighting. You can also get wall art and wall decor from this place. It really is a one stop shop for home decorating. I saw a pediment that will be perfect for my house. I've been looking for this in stores in my area but they don't have any. The prices are reasonable so I am a happy camper.


http://www.invitinghome.com/decorative-hardware/decorative-hardware.htm

We've all seen the TV commercials for the Chia pets every Christmas time. I bet you can sing the jingle (Ch-ch-chia). I could. ha ha It's a favorite gift of pranksters or people give it to someone they don't like. But do you know that the Chia seed is full of Omega-3 fatty acids? It contains more than flax seeds. Who would've thunk?

I saw this segment on my favorite GMA (Good Morning America) and they have Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen (you should listen to their show on XM radio, very informative) as guests. They said that eating these seeds is one way to be healthy and stay healthy. The Chia seeds, aside from being rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, is also rich in iron, calcium, copper, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, molybdenum, manganese, and niacin.

But don't go and get yourself a Chia pet yet. You can get the Chia seeds from your local health food store or from the internet. A 3 lb. bag of Chia seeds only costs $19.99. One major advantage of consuming these Chia seeds is that when mixed with water or any liquid (even in your stomach), it forms a gel and helps you feel full and slow down digestion. What does it taste like? I read that it has a nutty flavor and you can eat it with your cereal, yogurt or salad. Some people eat it as is for their snack or you can grind it and mix it with muffins or bread.

I am seriously considering trying this Chia seed. From what I've read so far, there is no bad side effects. Have you tried it?

So it's time to start another round of 'New Year's Resolutions'. Last year, my resolutions were to stop drinking diet Coke and stop eating 'cheesy snacks'. I was hooked diet Coke and drank it almost daily. Now, a year later, I'm proud to say that I've stopped my diet Coke addiction. For the cheesy snacks, I haven't completely stopped but only indulge in it once in a while. I probably bought it only 3 times last year.

So what's my health resolution this year? I want to bring down my bad cholesterol numbers. I wrote last month that I started having Cheerios for breakfast. Have you seen the commercial toting this particular cereal? It promised to lower cholesterol and I'm hoping that will happen. I've also started using the Wii Fit, one of the gifts I received for Christmas. I've been using it daily for an average of 30 minutes. I think giving someone an exercise themed gift or sports gifts is only a good idea if that person is open to it. Giving it to someone who does not like to exercise or play sports can be a disaster. LOL Anyway, I specifically asked for a Wii Fit from dh so no harm done there.

How about you? Have you made any health-related New Year's Resolution?

One important part of winterizing your home is to check for air leaks. Even a small amount will affect your home's heat retention. I remember when I started testing around the house for air leaks, I was amazed that even an electrical outlet gives out a lot of draft. We purchased the kit to put in it to reduce the draft. It lessened the draft considerably but I wasn't satisfied so what I did was to put on a strip of packing tape on it. Here are some places to check for drafts. Basically check all areas where there could be cracks or gaps.

Door and window frames
Mail shutes
Electrical and gas service entrances
Cable TV and phone lines
Outdoor water faucets
Where dryer vents pass through walls
Bricks, siding, stucco, and foundation
Air conditioners
Vents and fans.