Kitchen Facelift for the Holidays Made Easy With Tips from FaceYourKitchen.com

Foster City, Calif. (PRWEB) - FaceYourKitchen.com, the ultimate homeowner’s guide to quick and easy kitchen remodeling and cabinet refacing, is helping families prepare for the upcoming holiday season with easy revamping tips. As people are opening their homes to guests, they may not have the time or budget to completely remodel their kitchens to accommodate company and cooking activities.

“Holiday preparation can be exhausting, but we’re committed to making it easier for homeowners to update their kitchens without the heavy expense of remodeling,” said Samantha Chun, FaceYourKitchen.com spokesperson. “There are plenty of ways to spruce up your kitchen without spending a lot of cash or time.”

FaceYourKitchen.com is featuring content like “Turkey Day Angst? Tech to the Rescue” that will help homeowners ready their kitchens for the holidays, as well as prepare a Thanksgiving feast more efficiently, with less stress. According to Patricia Davis Brown, an award winning interior designer and FaceYourKitchen.com contributor, there are several types of gadgets and appliances with smart technologies that can help prepare a fabulous feast in half the time.

“The quicker you can prepare your holiday meals, the better,” said Brown. “Spending extra time with family is most important and FaceYourKitchen.com provides information on how to do so.”

Additionally, FaceYourKitchen.com highlights “10 quick kitchen fixes” that can improve the appearance of your kitchen before guests arrive. Some ideas include adding a pot rack to help organize a cluttered kitchen, hanging a new pendant lamp, or brightening up the area by hanging new window treatments. Whether it's a serious paint overhaul or simply switching out cabinet hardware, livening up the kitchen is easy to do.

For more information about home design, kitchen upgrades and holiday home preparations, follow @FaceYourKitchen on Twitter or Facebook.

About FaceYourKitchen.com
FaceYourKitchen.com is the ultimate homeowner’s guide to quick and easy kitchen remodeling. Since 2000, FaceYourKitchen has provided homeowners with helpful tips, styles and trends, informative articles, and cost information on cabinet refacing. FaceYourKitchen.com is owned and operated by QuinStreet, Inc. (NASDAQ: QNST), one of the largest Internet marketing and media companies in the world. QuinStreet is committed to providing consumers and businesses with the information they need to research, find and select the products, services and brands that meet their needs. The company is a leader in visitor-friendly marketing practices. For more information, please visit QuinStreet.com.

IRA Financial Group Expands its Self Directed IRA Real Estate Program

Miami, FL (PRWEB) November 19, 2011

With the declining stock market, and the most recent downgrade of the United States credit rating by S&P in August of 2011, many Americans have lost faith in Wall Street and have recognized the value of diversifying their retirement portfolios. A growing number of retirement investors have turned to the self-directed IRA as a means for making real estate, precious metals, international stocks, bonds, and foreign currency transactions tax-free.
A Self Directed IRA, also called a Self-Directed IRA LLC with checkbook control, is an IRS approved structure that allows one to use their retirement funds to make real estate and other investments tax-free and without custodian consent. The Self-Directed IRA involves the establishment of a limited liability company (“LLC”) that is owned by the IRA (care of the IRA custodian) and managed by you or any third-party. As manager of the IRA LLC, you will have control over the IRA assets to make the investments you want and understand – not just investments forced upon you by Wall Street.

The tax experts at the IRA Financial Group have helped thousands of people take back control of their retirement funds by investing in domestic real estate. IRA Financial Group has now expanded their Self Directed IRA Real Estate program to include international investments. The IRA Financial Group has launched a platform for Self-Directed IRA investors to use retirement funds to purchase foreign real estate all over the world tax-free. “Our tax experts have carefully studied international tax treaties as well as local tax rules to offer our clients with a customized self-directed IRA platform for making tax efficient foreign real estate investments,” states Scott Krokoff, a tax attorney at the IRA Financial Group.

The IRA Financial Group will take care of setting up your entire Self Directed IRA Real Estate LLC structure. The whole process can be handled by phone, email, fax, or mail and typically takes between 7-21 days to complete, the timing largely depending on the state of formation and the custodian holding your retirement funds. Our IRA experts and tax and ERISA attorneys are on site greatly reducing the set-up time and cost. Most importantly, each client of the IRA Financial Group is assigned a tax attorney to help with the establishment of the Self-Directed IRA LLC structure for purposes of making foreign real estate investments.

The IRA Financial Group was founded by a group of top law firm tax and ERISA lawyers who have worked at some of the largest law firms in the United States, such as White & Case LLP and Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP.

IRA Financial Group is the market’s leading “Checkbook Control” Self-Directed IRA and Solo 401k Plan Facilitator. We have helped thousands of clients take back control over their retirement funds while gaining the ability to invest in almost any type of investment, including real estate tax-free and without custodian consent!

To learn more about the IRA Financial Group please visit our website at http://www.irafinancialgroup.com or call 800-472-0646.

SlateTec® Introduces Simple Lightweight Roof System Using Natural Slate

WHEAT RIDGE, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SlateTec, Inc. announced today the launch of a new simple lightweight roof assembly system using natural slate: the SlateTec system.

The patented SlateTec system layers highest-grade slate (grade S1) over a recyclable high-tech polymer interlayment to reduce roof weight, and slate pieces used, by approximately 40 percent while yielding a roof “made of natural slate and looking exactly like a traditional slate roof,” according to Mike McDonough, president of SlateTec.

“Homeowners, contractors and architects now have the option of quickly and easily replacing asphalt or wood shingles with beautiful long-lasting slate.

“Our simple process reduces roof weight to the level of asphalt or wood shingles without compromising the aesthetics and durability of natural slate.”

In the past, a shift from, for example, petroleum-derived asphalt shingles to slate required improving the roof structure to support the greater weight of stone. (Clay and concrete tiles are similarly heavy.) The cost and time of this work typically either deterred homeowners or led them to synthetic slates, which are lighter.

SlateTec is priced similar to imitation slates and to the few complicated lightweight slate methods presently available.

“Weight and price are comparable to synthetics, but we supply natural S1 slate—we are greener—and the roof will last up to 100 years, versus 50 years, and look identical to a traditionally installed slate roof,” McDonough added.

“The curb appeal is unequalled. And with our simple installation process, almost any roofing contractor can now install natural slate.”

Building and roofing contractors, homeowners and architects can visit www.slatetec.net or call 303-462-3037 to order the SlateTec lightweight natural-slate roof system.

SlateTec also announced licensing its weight-saving roof technology to Ludowici Roof Tile, the largest clay tile manufacturer and maker of the finest clay roof tile for over 123 years, for use in the new TileTec clay tile roof system, exclusively offered by Ludowici.

Is the SlateTec roof system “green?”

The environmental impact of SlateTec roofs is low, largely due to their long life: 75 to 100 years. This is twice that of cement tiles and three or four times that of wood and asphalt. Roofing systems with shorter life spans generate more negative impacts over time because they must be replaced more often. Long lifespan also decreases lifetime cost.

About SlateTec

SlateTec is a simple lightweight roof system using natural slate that weighs approximately 40 percent less than other slate roofs, allowing old and new homes to be roofed in slate without costly reengineering and strengthening of the roof-support structure. The patented SlateTec system consists of two highly durable components: American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) grade S1 slate and SlateTec’s recyclable polymer interlayment, which is lapped beneath and concealed by the slate pieces. With a cost comparable to synthetic or imitation slate and twice the lifespan, 100 years, SlateTec offers outstanding value in natural slate roofing. Information on SlateTec can be found at www.slatetec.net. The company is headquartered in Wheat Ridge, Colo.

After downgrading U.S., S&P gives top rating to sub-prime mortgages

The United States may not deserve a triple AAA credit rating, but the same sub-prime mortgage assets that caused the housing bust do -- at least according to the country's leading ratings agency.

Standard & Poor's is set to slap a coveted AAA rating on a set of bonds tied to mortgages given to homeowners with below-average credit scores and almost no equity in their properties, Bloomberg reports. The agency, as well as its competitors Moody's and Fitch, have been roundly criticized for giving high ratings to similar sub-prime assets in the run-up to the financial crisis. All thee companies are paid by the banks who request ratings for their investments -- a business model that many say gives the agencies an incentive to award high ratings.

Last month, S&P controversially downgraded the U.S.'s credit rating, citing concerns about the country's long-term fiscal situation and its political process for resolving it. The U.S. does not request, or pay for, a rating.

Source

5 Aspects to Consider Concerning Internal Design for the Office

One method of getting job accomplished effectively is by making an optimistic vibe at work. When adorning, ensure that the area is well equipped, design to express and attract, get artistic with colour, think as it is and innovate and create new concepts.

Productivity as well as efficiency are both very strongly connected to the work place. When designing a business office, great design isn’t just visually appreciated; it also plays a significant role in creating a conducive work environment.

Make sure that the space is well equipped

When considering office interior design, the main requirement is to ensure that your office is well equipped. Do things a pace further by thinking about the needs of your employees and co-workers. Ensure that there’s a coffee room or perhaps pantry which is decorated in order to induce and recharge people at the office.

Design to express and impress

The interior design of the workplace is very much determined by the kind of business that you have. For instance, an office for an art studio should reflect the creative pursuits of the business. On the other hand, a lawyer’s business office should have modest tones which signify class and peaceful dignity in order to instill confidence in customers. The décor of your office environment helps establish where you stand as well as speaks volumes about the style and culture of your corporation.

Get artistic with color

You’d be surprised at the outcome attained simply by adjusting the color structure of your office. Although it’s a rule of thumb to stick to fundamentals and simple colours for carpets and wallpapers, you can always give your workplace a renovation by getting sofa sets in lively hues. Another alternative will be to present posters or maybe pictures that have fascinating splashes of color in them. Each one of these may help brighten up your working environment and minimize the sorrowful mood. It also makes your office an even more attractive area for customers and visitors once they do come to perform business.

Think as they are

Aspect of the fun of decorating or performing interior design is being versatile and making things which you would not usually try. Break out of the mold and build ambiences and surroundings that modify the figure of your organization. Second hand and also vintage shops are wonderful areas to find special ornamental pieces, and you don’t know when you’ll come across jewels to add that additional boost to your interior planning. You can also create a workplace based on special themes, which could be improved or swapped out with the seasons and also holidays.

Innovate and produce new ideas

Innovation is the main element to progress, which is also the key to making your workplace space distinctive from others. If you have other people in the office, produce a pool of thoughts where everybody chips in on a favourite theme, moti, or item. This way, the decorating becomes a group effort, and besides enhancing team spirit and group unity, this is a great way to ensure that everyone gets to contribute a little part of him or herself to creating a unified place of work.

Several Ideal Gardening Boots to Consider Purchasing

Every gardener requires a nice pair of gardening footwear. You may consider getting traditional hunter Wellington boots, bog boots, muck boots, or Le Chameau Garden boots.

Farming muck boots are an important part of every gardener’s fundamental equipment. Whether gardening is a passion or a livelihood for you, you’ll certainly need gardening footwear that can effectively keep your feet dry and clean. An excellent set of gardening boots can also keep you from falling in slippery areas like those covered in moss or mud. The standard features you must look for in gardening footwear are waterproof quality, durability, insulation, non-skid soles, breathability and the convenience of maintaining and cleaning them. Depending on your taste as well as needs, here are some of the finest types of gardening boots you should consider purchasing:

Bog boots

Bog boots are well known for their unique patterned types normally incorporating leaf imagery and flowers. Despite their nice design, bog boots don’t sacrifice durability. In fact, they are well-loved for being durable and comfortable. They’re also insulated and possess waterproofing. Bog boots are also known as a cushioned lining and soles which are high traction. They may be used as snowfall boots, but they’re not designed with the flexible gaiters required for keeping slush from entering the footwear. Bog boots can be bought either as mid-calf boots are full-height footwear; both have sturdy top footwear.

Standard hunter Wellington boots

Common or classic Wellington boots are helpful for perennial wear. Wellies get their title from the Duke of Wellington who was the winner at the Battle of Waterloo. This style of boot is commonly replicated and applied to various applications including walking through snowy places and mucking out sheds. Wellies for gardening are totally water-resistant and are designed with boot linings that help keep out dampness. They also possess non-slip soles and metal shanks that give them extra strength.

Muck boots

The Daily Garden Shoe selection of muck boots has an upper portion made from pure rubber and a wrap-tip toe bumper. The soles of this model of boot are a strong, and the boots are built to clasp perfectly across the wearer’s ankle. The top binding is stretchy, which helps keep the user clean and free of mud and also other remains. Muck boots are recognized to be waterproof and have a lining which can keep feet from sweating or getting cold. This kind of boot is ideal for executing outdoor job and working in barnyards and fields.

Le Chameau garden boot footwear

The garden boots of Le Chameau are known to be top quality. The French brand is proven to make Wellies designed particularly for gardening and non-urban activities. La Chameau garden shoes or boots are crafted from 100% all-natural rubber. Their materials undergo testing to evaluate their elasticity as well as durability. La Chameau is also well known for the expertise of their tradesmen because these workers are required to go through rigid training for nine months. They’ve utilised the same distinctive tradition of crafting high-quality boots since 1927.

With all the varieties of gardening boots available, it will not be hard for you to find one that is the most economical and practical for your gardening needs.