Gel Pro Mats are soft gel-filled stain-resistant mats that make standing on your hard kitchen floor more comfortable and ease back pain. They come in a variety of designer colors, textures, and sizes to match your kitchen’s interior design. Bonus, the easy to clean, slip-resistant mats contain a bacteria eliminating additive that also kills mold and mildew. They have been featured on HGTV’s show “I Want That!” and are available by calling 1-866-GEL-MATS or visiting www.gelpro.com.

Dieter’s may find this self designed plate amusing, motivating, or just plain rude. The customized plate found at DigitalDietIncentives.com urges you to eat less by donning a motto of you own or one of the ready-to-order sayings such as “No Seconds Fat!” or “Nothing tastes as good as thin feels” or the motto that titles this post. You can even add a picture of your head on a model’s body for extra weight loss encouragement. The plates are fully customizable and do not have to be diet related. The cost of a customized plate starts at $12 and goes up from there. If you are looking for a matching set, you may also purchase blank plates for non-dieting members of the family. An added benefit that actually controls portions to lose weight is the small size at just 7 1/2 inches compared to the typical 10 or 11 inch plates most people use.

Would you use this plate? What is the most off the wall trick that you have used to get in shape?

Since to day is Good Friday and Easter weekend, we would like to know how you decorate for Spring and the holidays of the season. Do you do a festive table setting or bring out the potted flowers to welcome warmer weather? Do you hang plastic easter eggs in a tree for color?

How you decorate? What are your favorite traditions?

Did you know S.C. Johnson has an amazing newsletter? Yep, that’s right, S.C. Johnson as in the makers of Pledge, Ziploc, Shout, Saran, Glade, Windex, Off!, and Raid. The name of the monthly newsletter is the “Clean Home Journal” and is full of great tips including cleaning (of course), recipes, nutrition, interior decorating, and more. They also include printable coupons and links to free samples.

Check out this article on Spring Cleaning, Room by Room which includes 7 FREE printable checklists!

          

 

A hot new trend in flooring is using reclaimed wood in newer spaces. Wood floors, unlike furniture or wood cabinets, look great without becoming dated no matter what the stain or wood grain. I’ve been seeing/loving the reclaimed look a lot lately, and it is becoming more available through avenues other than actually reclaiming it yourself. One company that distributes is called Mountain Lumber Company. They have been collecting the wood from abandoned mills, factories, churches, barns, and breweries for decades. Of course the best and greenest option would be to find a local source from where you could salvage the wood. Look forward to seeing more of the look of reclaimed wood floors in the future.

Random fact from wikipedia about the color green and why it is so big on this favorite internatinal holiday: “St. Patrick’s Blue, not green, was the colour long-associated with St. Patrick. Green, the colour most widely associated with Ireland, with Irish people, and with St. Patrick’s Day in modern times, may have gained its prominence through the phrase “the wearing of the green” meaning to wear a shamrock on one’s clothing… St. Patrick used the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity to the pre-Christian Irish… The change to Ireland’s association with green rather than blue probably began around the 1750s.”

Why do you celebrate St. Paddy’s Day?

• To celebrate St. Patrick, a patron saint of Ireland?
• Traditionally a day of feast ?
• Love of all things green - food, clothes, etc.?
• Excuse to consume too many Irish drinks: green beer, Irish car bombs, Baileys Irish Cream, Guinness, Irish whiskey, etc.?
• Irish heritage and pride?
• Parades?
• Corned beef is yummy?
• Brings luck?

Tell us why you love St. Patrick’s Day!

On April 9 through a three session series, you can learn more about LEED for homes through case studies that offer insights into strategies, challenges and costs associated with real LEED for Homes projects. Register today ($39 early bird rate; $49 regular rate). Participate in the live webinar sessions to take advantage of the Q&A.

Big news for the biggest commercial real estate company in the world:

In 2007 CB Richard Ellis committed itself to becoming carbon neutral by the year 2010, register and pursue LEED for Existing Buildings certification for 100 office buildings, and earn LEED AP credentials for a minimum of 100 Asset Services employees. 

To find out how you can become a LEED accredited professional or read more about CBRE’s progress visit USGBC’s website. 

How CBRE is getting there according to Sally Wilson, Global Director of Environmental Strategy for CB Richard Ellis:

• verifying our footprint in all our office space – about 400 buildings in 50+ countries, totaling roughly 5 million square feet.
• setting achievable targets to reduce the footprint each year.
• making targeted in-house changes
• reducing our energy and water consumption and waste
• using renewable or recyclable materials.
• addressing the indirect footprint
• incorporating environmental best practices for the procurement of furniture, paper and other office equipment.
• making sure that our contractors and suppliers understand how they can improve their environmental standards.
• greening our existing space
• when opening or relocating to a new office, we are utilizing green design strategies, and pursuing LEED for Commercial Interiors certification for our major offices.
• If we still have anything left to eliminate after that, we’ll pursue carbon offsets.
• aggressively sharing with our clients how they can adopt or enhance responsible environmental policies and practices.
• engaging 100% of our property and facilities management and brokerage clients in proactive discussions about environmental issues.
• the majority of our facilities and property management clients will implement energy-saving technology and practices at their locations by 2010.

Staging tips from Maryland Real Estate’s blog post titled “Staging Resurgance”

1. The Entrance:  This is the first place to start and probably one of the most important to buyers.  The curb appeal of your house and the condition of the front door is what gives buyers their first impression of your home, and it better be good.  Winter debris on the lawn, now is the time to get rid of it.  Nicks and chips on the front door, paint it.  Looks a little bare, flower it.  This is the gateway to your home and it should look its best.
2. Out Dam Clutter:  George Carlin has a pretty good bit about all the “stuff” we accumulate during our lives.  Great fodder for a comedian but not good news when you’re selling your house.  When it comes to selling your house, less is better.  One key area to absolutely remove clutter is your countertops.  The countertops don’t have to be completely cleared of everything but the closer you get to clear countertops the better it will be.  While you’re at it, de-clutter the rest of the house as well.  The potential buyers should be focusing on the house and not your stuff.
3. De-personalize:  Like clutter, a lot of personal items can get in the way of a buyer.  Box up the pictures on the refridgerator and any areas that have too much of a personal nature.  We want the buyers to be able to visualize this as their potential future home and the less you have around to remind them it’s your house, the better.
4. Paint:  Yes, but keep it neutral.  Beige paint, white ceilings and trim.  Wait until you get into your new house to get creative again.  If you push me maybe an accent wall, but that’s it.  A newly painted house looks, smells and feels clean.  Painting is one of the least expensive fixes you can do that increases value.
5. Furniture:  Like other stuff, furniture tends to accumulate the longer we’re in a house.  You want to avoid having the rooms look smaller because there is too much furniture or the furniture is too large.  Rearrange it if you have to or take some out so the potential buyer gets a better impression about the size of the rooms.
6. Light:  Yes, and plenty of it when the house is being shown.  Rooms that have plenty of light, both natural and electric, show better.  Increase those 40 watt bulbs but be careful to not exceed the capacity of your fixture.  Unlike clutter, where less is better, when we’re talking about light, more is definately the way to go.