Avoid These Bathroom Renovation Blunders!

Renovation experts say you should renovate your bathroom every 17.9 years. Our house is 18 years old and it is time to renovate the guest bathroom. We started a picture file and narrowed the ideas down to the ones we liked best. Then we met with the construction representative. "We'll have to talk about this," he said, following us upstairs to the bathroom.

After looking around, he told us why some ideas should be deleted. We chose renovation ideas that matched our budget. Two weeks later the representative returned with product photos, design specs, and costs. This experience has made us more aware of bathroom renovation blunders.

1. Lighting that is too high or too low. By today's standards my husband and I are short people. A few years ago we installed a new brushed nickel light over the vanity mirror. "It's a beautiful light, but I can't see myself," the representative said. We could see our faces but he could not because he was the same height as the light. The company will remount the light to correct this blunder.

2. Mis-matched lighting and faucets. To save money we are having our existing maple vanity raised a few inches. According to the representative, bathrooms with matched faucets and lighting look best. We are installing a brushed nickel faucet to go with the vanity light. Wodden drawer knobs will be replaced with brushed nickel ones.

3. Choosing the wrong vanity mirror. You may find inexpensive mirrors at home and discount stores. The mirrors may be attractive, but may not go with your home. We bought new towel bars and5B4 a matchng mirror for our guest bathroom.

4. Hard to clean tile. Because I love mosaics (I made them in my college days) I chose glass mosaic tile for the tub surround. They would look lovely, the representative said, but so much grout would be hard to keep clean and mold-free. We chose larger tiles for the tub surround.

5. Trendy colors. Colors that were popular years ago, like aqua and brown, are back in style again. These colors may not be in style when you need to sell your home. That is why realtors recommend neutral colors. We chose tan and creme to keep our house market ready.

6. Inadequate water heater. The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) says you should check the capacity of your water heater. "If you are going to add a large jetted tub to your project, consider adding a water heater dedicated to that tub," advises NARI.

7. Old, inadequate ventilation. Though your bathroom fan works, it may not ventilate well. Spending money on a new ceiling fan is money well spent. Avoiding all of these blunders will ensure a successful and long-lasting bathroom renovation. Just think of all the time you spend there!

Copyright 2007 by Harriet Hodgson

http://www.harriethodgson.com

Harriet Hodgson has 4D5been a freelance nonfiction writer for 28 years. She is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and the Association for Death Edcation and Counseling. Her 24th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from http://www.amazon.com A five-star review of the book is posted on Amazon. You will find other reviews on the American Hospice Foundation Web site ("School Corner" heading) and the Health Ministries Association Web site.

House Stair Construction

Building Great Soulmate Relationships

Building great soulmate relationships in life takes time and commitment. If you choose to spend time and you choose to commit you WILL most certainly build a relationship that will bring you joy and contentment. Some keys to building great relationships include:

Connect with the one that you love
Make time to remind your soulmate that they are special. Write them a note, send an email, sms or phone them during the day at work. Do something that you know will be meaningful to your partner. Make sure your efforts dont go to waste; connect with them keeping their love language in mind. Be intentional about making a daily connection in the middle of your busy life.

Plan your time
The old saying fail to plan and you will plan to fail is so true when it comes to soulmate relationships. Planning your time is of utmost importance in building great soulmate relationships. The average couple is so busy with work, catching up with friends and other responsibilities that sometimes in an established relationship you can fail to plan to spend time together. Check your calendars each week and make note of time when you will be together. Be intentional about spending casual social time together and also about spending quality time building into your soulmate relationship. A regular date night is a great idea.

Be protective of your soulmate relationship
At times healthy jealousy is a must in relationships. If you are not going to protect your soulmate relationship, who will? Dont allow yourself to be in situations that compromise the integrity of your relationship with your partner. Always remember that soulmate relationships can last forever- make sure that the emotional needs of your partner are being met. Dont take each other for granted. Your relationship is important.

Dont forget the special occasions!
Use your diary or the reminder function in your mobile phone; make a note of birthdays, anniversaries and special events. Talk about important events and make sure that both partners expectations are equal. Unnecessary tension can result in a relationship due to unmet expectations. If you would like to go away for your anniversary make sure that your partner knows! They are not mind readers. It may seem to take the spontaneity and romance out of it all but in the long run your soulmate relationship will be stronger as a result of discussing such issues.

Introduce surprise to your relationship
Assuming your partner likes surprises, and you have time, there are many ways you can surprise them. Organise with their boss that they will take an extended lunch break and take them out to lunch, send flowers, a card, chocolates- the options are endless and can really add spice to your life together. Interrupt the mundane with a surprise and youll be amazed at what it does for your soulmate relationship.

Get away with your friends
If you are in a steady relationship make sure that you havent become exclusive with your partner and in the process lost all of your friends! This is a common mistake that couples make when entering into a relationship. At the start everything is new and very exciting and before you know it you have neglected the old friend that you have had since high school. Friendships are important and it is healthy to have mutual friends and for each person to have their own friends in a relationship. It brings diversity and spending time apart only makes the heart grow fonder!

Become a student of your partner
If you are in a relationship you need to become a full-time student of your partner. Make it your mission to learn everything there is to know about them. Their likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses, how they relate to others, how they feel most loved. When you take the focus off yourself and your needs and focus on your partner you will discover that you are in the process of building a great relationship. As you focus on your partner they will become more focused on you- it is always better to give than to receive!

Anita Rossow has a Bachelor Degree in Education and is passionate about seeing and helping people grow in all areas of their lives. See her homepage at http://www.soulmatediscovery.com. If you would like to find out more about love languages and finding your Soulmate visit: Soulmate

Index 29

Why People Don't Listen... and Some Fun Things You Can Do About It

It's frustrating when your co-workers, audience members, teenager or even your dog (!) won't listen. While you can't control how they receive what you say, you can control how you send it. Here are a few tips on why people don't listen and what you can do to change it.

1. Short Attention Spans

When asked to guess the average adult attention span, most people say around thirty minutes. According to statistics, however, the average adult attention span is actually only seven seconds. That's right! Every seven seconds you go away somewhere. You think about something else. In fact, you could actually be taking a mental break right now! It is a normal part of how the brain integrates external stimuli like when your computer starts defragging for a moment while you type. It helps to pause from time to time when you speak. This allows people to integrate your information or ask a clarifying question. Also, include examples to anchor your concepts. For example (see--I'm doing it now!), a concept without an example is like tree without roots, a house without a Foundation, or Sonny without Cher. It just doesn't have as much staying power.

2. Too Many Distractions

I was in a meeting the other day and five people coughed, four people side talked, three cell phones rang, two people went to the restroom, and a partridge did email on his PDA. Distractions are a big part of modern life. Your best bet is to acknowledge the distractions in a playful way such as a manager who recently led a meeting I attended. When a cell phone rang, he grabbed for it and said, Oh, that's for me.my mother likes to check in on me from time to time. That prompted everyone to turn off their phones.

3. Lack of Training

Few of us were formally taught how to listen. While you probably took Reading 8, Writing 11, did you ever take Listening 10? It's little wonder listening is challenging. Quite accidentally, I learned how to listen by practicing meditation. After a five-day retreat, I felt very light-hearted and so went to visit my aging father who was hard of hearing. My habit was to sit vacantly for hours while he complained about his arthritis, the error on his bank statement, and how hard it is to find good slippers. After this retreat, I surprised myself by totally paying attention to him with patience and compassion. After about ten minutes of complaining he suddenly changed tracks and started telling me fascinating and funny stories about his childhood. Then he cranked up his hearing aid and asked about me! Learn how to be present with people, give them your full, undivided attention and be ready for some pleasant surprises.

4. Language Barriers

It is no secret that the world of business is fast becoming a multicultural world. Although English is the default language of commerce, many people in your audience may speak English as a second language. Last month I was addressing a large insurance company where most attendees turned out to be new immigrants from China. I used the expression getting jiggy with it, and I saw people rifling through their dictionaries. This prompted me to say I'm sorry, that went way over your head, and a number of people looked up at the ceiling! If your listeners are ESL or have a more basic educational background, you need to simplify your language. Use much more literal descriptions rather than cultural expressions. Use facial and body language to express humor, and fewer words.

5. Unchecked Assumptions

Back in the 70s, Gilda Radner a comedienne who regularly performed on Saturday Night Live was well known for her popular character Emily Litella, a social activist with a hearing problem. Her causes included such important issues as violins on television, soviet jewelry and endangered feces. Believe it or not, those Emily Litella types can be found in your audiences. For example, I once told a story about my mother who was a secretary for the British Civil Service in WWII. She spent most of her time daydreaming that her boss would burst into the room and ask her to spy against the Germans. She could leave the nasty paperwork behind, don a disguise and become the next Mata Hari. Needless to say, one day her boss did burst into the room but instead he fired her for daydreaming all the time. A woman approached me after this story and told me that she used to be a Hari Krishna, too. One way to clear up false assumptions is to state your point in many different ways.

6. No Reason to Listen

Finally, the main reason people don't listen is because you haven't answered their favorite question: What's in it for me? Before you start a long-winded monologue, tell your listener why you need their attention and make sure they understand how it will be benefit them. For example, I'd like to tell you about this free software that will block all the spam before it gets to your Inbox interested? That will give you much better results than When I was a youngster and I sat down in front of my first computer, I asked myself how can I make this machine work for me In general, put yourself in your listener's shoes before you talk and their ears tend to perk up.

And just remember the greatest of all wisdom--no one ever listened himself out of a new friendship.

Carla Rieger
Copyright 2005 Yes Education Systems

Carla Rieger is an expert on the artistry of change. You can reach her at http://www.carlarieger.com or at 1-866-294-2988. Carla uses proven secrets from the world of artistry to help your organization becoming a leader of innovation. She has been a professional speaker, trainer, facilitator and performance storyteller since the mid-80s. She is the director of Yes Education Systems, a creative communications and creative consulting firm since 1991. She has written three critically acclaimed manuals, Managing Change with a sense of humor, Speaking on the Funny Side of the Brain and The Heart of Presenting, in addition to many articles in trade journals and magazines. She has taught thousands to unlock the funny side of their brains, and to mine negativity both within and without for the key innovative solutions. Her work has been featured on radio, TV and many publications. She founded several theatre groups including Mad Cow Productions, Vancouver Playback Theatre and Mythic Cafe. She also wrote, produced and performed a one-woman show, Dancing Between Worlds.

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