There is nothing more disappointing than realizing, once you have an item home, that you made the wrong measurements. I can still painfully recall the day I brought home my newly sewn living room curtains, only to find that they were six inches too short, even if I did lower the hem.  I'd measured from the top of the window, not from where the curtain rod was going to be attached.  Not only was that embarrassing but it was also very costly, as I had to re-order the curtains.

Shutters can be installed either inside or outside of the window.  In order to install the plantation shutters on the inside, your window must be square.  To determine if your window is square, measure diagonally both ways. If the measurement differs more than half an inch, you will need to either modify the shutters, or order shutters that are installed outside the window.

An interesting point that many people forget is that whether you measure for inside or outside mounting shutters, you always only measure the inside of the window. This is because hanging strips are added to this measurement to allow you to mount plantation shutters on the outside of the window.

If you're unsure how to measure for shutters, it may be simpler for you to have someone the store come and do it for you.  You really wouldn't want to make a mistake with this.

photo credit: jikatu

If you've never tried 100% pure Acai, you have no idea what you are missing in your life.  This stuff has a high-quality flavor and is a new super-juice.  Scientists have talked about the benefits of including Acai into your diet and many people are starting to catch on to the fact that not all Acai is pure.

In fact, if you read about pure Acai, you will understand that in order for it to be authentic, Acai pure juice, you need to take a trip down south.  Not down south in the United States, I mean down south to South America.  It is sold there and is as common there as Orange Juice is in the United States.  The people in South America know that pure Acai berry juice is one of the best things to include in your diet.

If you’re keeping an eye on mortgage rates lately because you know how incredibly low they were just a few weeks back and you’re hoping to see those rates again… good luck.

Of course no one can say with any absolute certainty where rates will be in a day, a week or a month let alone a year or so from now, but the general agreement among experts and wannabe experts alike is that more likely than not, rates are going up from here.  In addition, no one that I’ve heard of is really expecting to see the rates of a few weeks ago, such as 4.5%, again any time soon.  If at all!

So if you’re on the fence about locking your loan, you probably shouldn’t be.  If you have found a house to buy or you’ve determined that a mortgage refinance makes sense for you, playing with floating and locking is really just gambling.  Lock it and move on.

Insurance costs are all about risk.  When it comes to charging an individual for insurance, they have a million and one factors to look into.  What is their age, gender, driving record, vehicle, etc.  No one will insure someone without knowing how likely they are going to cost them money and how much.

Insurance costs are determined by actuaries.  A actuary uses probability and statistics to rate the risk of an individual.  According to statistics, young drivers have less experience and are therefore more likely to get into accidents or have traffic violations.  In the past, young drivers have cost insurance companies more.

This is why insurance companies charge higher premiums for car insurance for young drivers.  As time goes on, each individual will crate their own reputation.  If you avoid accidents and get no traffic violations year after year, your premiums will go down.  If you get into one accident after the other and pile up your tickets, they will skyrocket.  Be smart, drive safe, and everyone wins.

There are many ingredients that go into making glass at different points in the glass making process. Fining agents are an important part of glass manufacturing. These additives are included with other ingredients during the meltdown phase of the operation. If you did not add a fining agent, small pockets of undissolved gas bubbles would remain in the glass. Bubbles have a negative impact on appearance and mechanical properties of the final product. Nobody wants to see a wine glass with bubbles in it unless it is intentional. Antimony trioxide is a very common example of a fining agent. Its presence causes smaller bubbles to come together and form larger bubbles. The larger bubbles are then able to rise to the surface of the molten glass. The result is a bubble-free mixture of fluid glass.

So you’ve just discovered the kids have poured soda down the seat cushions of your brand new couch and now you’re wondering if there are any home remedies for the removal of mold. Yuck. It’s a disgusting job, but there is hope!

If the couch is made of upholstery, you’ll first want to find out of it is safe from fading. If you’re unsure, you can test the fabric in a hidden place by spraying a solution of bleach and water. If there’s no fading after the solution is allowed to set and dry, then chances are it’s safe.

If your sofa says dry-clean only, try spraying a disinfectant spray on the affected area and then brushing away the spot with a soft cloth. If you’re not sure what type of fabric the sofa is, you may want to spray a small amount of the disinfectant in an inconspicuous area.

And finally, if you have a pet stain remover product, and your couch is safe to steam clean, try spraying the product on the affected area and steam cleaning it afterwards. Again, you may want to test a small amount of the pet stain remover in a hidden area just to be sure it’s safe for use on your couch’s fabric.

Please keep in mind that while the above home remedies for mold removal might work for some couches, they might not work for all of them because fabrics do differ. And just because they work on couches also doesn’t mean they’ll work on other areas such as carpets. Every material is unique.

photo credit: Foxtongue

Beyond the superficial smiles and everyday glances in the working world, many people are living with addictions, behind closed curtains. It's not necessarily always what you'd think: junkies don't tend to always sit on street corners. In fact, some hold down 6 figure jobs, at least until they hit rock bottom. Living with an addiction causes even more stress to a stress-filled life; the secrecy and the shame can take their toll. If you are living with an addiction, whether it be to drugs, gambling, theft, or something else, the best way to deal with it is head-on. Planning an all out attack against addictive behaviors is the way to go: find others who are in the same boat with you, and support each other. Know why you want to quit, and then do it. The impulse to addiction may still exist, but you can learn how to move past it and lead a healthy life.

photo credit: Dan4th

Almost every cook has one of the many varieties of kitchen spice racks in their kitchen. The question you need to answer is do you need one in your home? Even if you don't think you are a cook, a kitchen spice rack can benefit you in many ways.

Many people purchase a spice rack just for decoration, others get one for the ease of use. If you cook often, you know the benefit of having access to fresh spices whenever you need them. Kitchen spice racks help you keep your spices organized without having to search through cabinets and drawers trying to find what you need.

Kitchen spice racks also come in many different configurations to fit nicely into your kitchen. You can find spice racks that sit on your counter, hang under cabinets, are mounted on the back of cabinet doors and even ones that slide in and out of pantries.

Finding one is easy. Most specialty stores such as Crate and Barrell sell them, but so do the big box stores like Sears and Carsons. Each spice rack is different and usually comes stocked with similiar spices that are regulary used in cooking. Even if you don't think you need a spice rack, it can make a great decorative addition to your kitchen.