Painting your child’s nursery, especially if this is your first, is an honor, a reason for excitement, an art project, and most of all, a work of love that should not cause you any stress or anxiety. Even if you don’t consider yourself able to paint your fingernails without making a mistake, know that you absolutely can paint your child’s nursery, and you will do a great job.

First, ask yourself:

“How long will my baby be in the nursery?”

If you’re like most parents, you don’t live in a mansion, so that nursery room may have to convert into your baby’s bedroom — this usually occurs around age 5. If you know ahead of time how long the nursery room will be in place, you’ll have a better idea of the painting you decide to do.

Some themes to consider are: fairy tales, nursery rhymes, animated characters from videos (this is an especially easy theme to convert from a nursery to a child’s bedroom after four or five years), religious/angelic images, etc. There is nothing to limit the choices you have for the theme of your child’s nursery.

If you are not an artist, but have your heart set on painting a mural for the nursery walls, not to worry. Many artists are available for work in almost any neighborhood; check the local discount newspapers, high schools, even the web-based classifieds; artists are always looking for gigs. If you want to complete the painting yourself and you have never done anything like this before, you have support in the form of local craft stores and countless websites. Complete a web search, “How to paint Tinkerbell on a wall,” and over one million sites will come up, each one providing complete, easy, do-it-yourself instructions (many with youtube videos).

Take a shortcut through art school. Decide on an image that you want to paint, example: Simba. Go the web, select a graphic of the character. Print it, and cut out the image (it should be at least 8 1/2” x 11” for a good painting). Turn the image over and using a pencil, shade in the sheet of paper. Tape the image to the nursery wall, faceup. Use a pencil to trace all of the lines (eyes, ears, nose, paws, all of the lines of the image.) Remove the piece of paper to see an outline of Simba on your nursery wall — this is the hardest part of the process. After purchasing some bottles of paint from a craft store, and a paintbrush or two, just fill in the corresponding color and allow the paint to dry.

Next, use a black magic marker and outline the Simba you have just painted; the black lines should be on top of the painted sections, to add definition. Refer to your printout from the web as a reference. Allow the black magic marker ink to completely dry, and to seal in your work of art, paint all over Simba with a clear gloss — and Voilà! You are an artist.

Whatever theme you decide for your baby’s nursery walls, make it great, and have fun with the colors. And if you decide that you are not so happy with the results, just remember this: one paint roller and a small can of egg shell is just like a delete key.

A perennial favorite for interior design, wallpaper can improve the feel of a room and with different colors and patterns, can make a space seem light and airy or close and intimate. Wallpaper is a home improvement job easily accomplished by any home owner.

Following the proper steps for wallpaper installation will ensure the surface stays smooth and flat and that the seams and imperfections of the application remain invisible. Choices for modern wallpaper include flat or textured options that may be constructed of silk or vinyl materials. The type of material used may impact the level of difficulty a home owner has in completing the installation.
1. Mark the room and cut the paper

Wallpaper isn’t simply hung from left to right along the open wall. Proper hanging of wallpaper actually starts from the middle of the wall, or wherever a person’s eyes might land first when they enter a room.

By taking a small piece of wallpaper and tacking it up on the wall temporarily, the room can be measured for the number of strips required and expected seam locations. After marking the room fully, the home owner can roll out and cut the required pieces of wallpaper.
2. Apply paste to the wallpaper or loosen the adhesive

Some wallpaper will require paste while other wallpaper is pre-pasted. For strips of wallpaper that have no paste, an even coat of paste should be applied, after which the paper should be held for about five minutes before hanging.

For wallpaper with paste already applied, the paper will require submersion in water for about five minutes to activate the paste and get it ready for adhering to the wall.

Tip: Gently fold the paper onto itself without bending it so that the paste doesn’t dry out before the wallpaper can be applied and secured to the wall.
3. Hang the wallpaper

Proper application of the wallpaper to the wall requires starting at the top of the wall and applying the strip in a downward motion along the surface. After the initial hanging of a piece, the edges should be smoothed onto the wall with a lightly moist sponge and then pressed onto the wall from the center of the strip outward toward the edges.

When applied to the wall, the strip should have som

The early days of springtime begin to usher in warmer days and daydreams of serving homegrown vegetables at the family table once again. While gardeners and gourmet cooks alike are eager to fill their landscapes with vegetable plants to nurture, the premier weeks of spring can still present frosty nights. Take this time to ponder what you envision for your garden and to carry out these preparatory steps in order to maximize a bountiful season.
Step 1: Planning

Consider the size, location and style of the garden that will best suit your needs. These deliberations will enable you to delve into a garden that will be enjoyable and rewarding rather than overwhelming or impractical.

When contemplating size, consider how much time you have to devote to regular garden maintenance once planting is complete. Also decide which vegetables you and your family enjoy the most and choose produce that typically trends within the cuisine of your preferred cooking recipes.

Choose a location that offers full sun exposure, shelter from high winds and soil with good drainage in which to designate a vegetable gardening spot. Be sure to have a long enough hose to easily reach this location for daily watering.

There are many style options for vegetable gardens, from simple oblong plots of soil to raised beds to vast and elaborately designed garden areas.
Step 2: Designing

Begin construction once you have chosen the garden spot and the layout. Determine if you desire wooden framework to define the garden’s edges and sections and decide on whether fencing around the perimeter may be necessary to prevent pets and wildlife from trouncing and grazing. Vertical structures will be needed for climbing specimens such as cucumbers or string beans. Establish walkway paths in order to access all sections of the garden.
Step 3: Soil Preparation

Dig and turn all of the soil to a depth of approximately twelve inches. Remove weeds, old plant material and debris. Break and crumble large chunks of dirt until it all appears uniformly fine. Next, evenly distribute compost throughout the garden and mix until it is incorporated with the soil.

Garden centers and county cooperative extension centers will test soil samples to determine if any other substances should be mixed in to correct soil conditions that may be counteractive in growing a successful vegetable garden.

Cover the soil with a plastic tarp until you are ready to plant. This serves a dual purpose of retaining daytime warmth, thus preventing the soil from freezing during early spring nighttime temperature plunges, as well as discouraging weed growth during this interim.
Step 4: Planting

Once threats of frost have subsided for the season, then you are ready to add the plants. Water the garden thoroughly on the day before planting, and again immediately once planting is complete. Follow label instructions regarding spacing since overcrowding can lead to nonproductive and spindly plants. Cover spaces between plants with mulch to retard weed growth and to hold moisture.
Step 5: Maintenance

Water the garden daily and remove weeds regularly. Pinch early plant growth to encourage fuller plants and harvest vegetables regularly to promote continued production. Stake taller plants and be sure to protect plants when threatened with harsh weather events.

No vegetable or fruit is more flavorful and rewarding than that which is picked fresh from your own garden. Homegrown produce not only saves money, it enables your family to savor a healthy diet at its delicious and nutritious best.

Part of helping your furry friend be a welcome part of your household is making sure that your environment is as pet friendly as possible. Not having a proper environment for your pets will result in tension between you, the animal in question and other household residents. It isn’t necessary for you to sacrifice aesthetics because you share your indoor living space with animal companions, however. Plenty of ways exist to keep your home looking chic and clean while accommodating the needs of your furry friends. Following are nine tips that can help create a happy home ambiance for both humans and their pets.
1. Vacuum Thoroughly and Often

Regular vacuuming will help keep your household surfaces free of pet hair and dander. Twice a week should do it unless your pet is shedding. In that case, you may have to vacuum on a daily basis.
2. Dress Your Bed With Washable Fabrics

Using bedsheets, pillowcases, blankets, quilts and comforters that are made of washable fabrics will go a long way towards keeping your sleeping space clean and sanitary. You can give your entire bedroom a makeover just by throwing everything into the washer.
3. Forget About Wall-to-Wall Carpeting

Wall-to-wall carpeting harbors mold, mildew, dirt, dust, grime, pet hair and other substances. Bare floors with washable throw rugs look nicer anyway and are much better for the health of all household inhabitants. Both humans and animals have been known to develop respiratory problems due to the difficulty of keeping wall-to-wall carpeting clean.
4. Groom and Bathe Your Pet Frequently

Furry friends enjoy that just bathed-and-brushed feeling just as much as we do. Performing grooming tasks on your pet frequently will help to keep your home clean and free from pet hair and dander.

little-cute-puppies
5. Discover the Joys of Stain Resistant Fabrics

Instead of asking for trouble by using dirt and dust magnets like velvet for upholstery or pillows or using delicate silk and chintz for home decor purposes, use washable, synthetic fabrics such as Crypton. Nearly indestructible, Crypton repels stains and unpleasant odors. Leather is also a good choice because it’s nonporous and easily cleaned with a damp cloth.
6. Choose Pet Toys and Treats With Cleanliness in Mind

Even though our canine furry friends dearly love chewing on those dried pig ears and rawhide bones, these items can have damaging effects on household flooring and furniture because they leave greasy stains. Choose rubber toys for dogs instead. If you have indoor cats, you should provide them with scratching posts in attractive shapes and styles.
7. Color Coordinate Your Pets and Your Furniture

Selecting furniture in the same color range as your pets will make pet hair much less noticeable. Imaginative use of color will also make your home environment more appealing.
8. Set Up a Mud Room Near Your Front Entry

After a long romp outdoors, furry friends are likely to have muddy paws. Setting up a designated room to clean paws and other effected areas will go a long way toward keeping your indoor environment clean.
9. Select Hard-Surfaced Floors

Hard-surfaced flooring is easy to keep clean and sanitary simply by vacuuming and mopping on a regular basis. They are also quite stylish and attractive. The best flooring material for homes where pets live is also the one that’s presents the best overall appearance: ceramic tile.