Creating a light, bright dining room to thrill your guests

You’re planning a dinner party – but your dining room looks dreadful. How do you get it looking good quickly and cheaply?

It’s hard to make guests feel at home in a dining space that is drab, dingy and unwelcoming. Get the wow factor with bright upholstery, contemporary dining sets and table decorations that are real conversation pieces.

Modern or retro – but still fresh and vibrant

Consider not only what suits your personality, but what suits the rest of your home as well. If you live in a chic modern apartment, for example, the rustic look may feel a little out of place. Vintage or retro can be great looks, provided you feel confident enough to carry them off. Light or even white wooden furniture and sleek, defined lines make for a room that looks fresh and welcoming.

Refreshing and bold color combinations

If your dining room looks dark and uninviting, give it a makeover in fresh, pale colors. Consider a feature wall or wall art to add warmth and personality. Another idea is to use textiles to add texture, patterns and bold colors to an otherwise plain space. You could replace dark and outdated vinyl flooring with pale wood laminates for a look that is instantly more refreshing and lively; try combining this with cupboard doors or furnishings in bold, primary colors for a real ‘wow’ effect. 

Banish the gloom with effective lighting

Nine times out of ten, a dark and uninviting dining room can be fixed with the simple application of better lighting. This could mean something as radical as knocking down the wall between your kitchen and dining room to really open up the space – or the solution could be as simple as removing those dark drapes, replacing them with clean white Venetians and installing drop-down cafe pendant lamps or directional spots instead of relying on just the one stand-up lamp in the corner. 

Sophisticated furniture and centerpiece ideas

If your dining table is looking tired, perhaps it’s time for a new model: from the sleek minimalism of pale Scandinavian wood to sophisticated glass dining tables, you can really make a statement with the right piece of furniture. Make sure your chairs match the ensemble and dress the table with eye-catching place settings and centerpieces; an arrangement of fresh cut flowers will also bring life and brightness to the space.

Make the most of your daylight

Open up your dining space to the natural environment outside with wooden treatments that are fashionable and homely. Wooden shutters really add personality to any living space and can be as rustic or as contemporary looking as you like. Install them to the outside of your windows to make the most of your available daylight and allow the sunshine to shine in onto your dining space. Unlike heavy drapes, which can block sunlight, shutters have the advantage of being mounted on the outside, so they don’t take up any space in the room.

Armed with a pot of paint, good light – including daylight – and a little upgrade to your furnishings, that tired old dining space can be given a vibrant makeover that will bring it into the 21st century and make your dinner guests want to return for a second helping.

5 More Website Metrics You Must Measure for Success

You can spend thousands on a new website, but if you’re not measuring the website’s success, you will have no idea if it was worth the cost.

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Thankfully, there are a few different website metrics you can look at to see how successful your website is. According to Grow Think, this is very beneficial, as if you don’t know how successful something is, you can’t improve it.

Here are five more website metrics you can measure to see how successful your website is.

Overall Customer Value

Customer value isn’t the easiest metric to calculate, but the findings will be very valuable to your business. You can find your average customer value by looking at all the purchases an average customer will make with your business. Are most customers one-time buyers or do your customers come back to make repeat purchases – and if so, how many? This can help you to estimate how valuable your website is.

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Lead-to-Sale Ratio

If you are aware of your lead-to-sale ratio, you are aware of your sales success. Work out this metric by dividing the total number of sales with the total number of leads to see how many sales are linked to your leads.

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Overall Cost Per Lead

How much money are you spending on each lead? You can work this out by comparing the monthly cost of your campaign with the total number of leads. If the leads are fairly cheap, this means that your marketing plan is working, but if they are very expensive, it may be best to consider a different marketing strategy.

Customer Retention

It can also be useful to look at your customer retention rate, as this will let you know more about your repeat customers, but this is less useful if all of your customers tend to make only one purchase.

ROI

Your return on investment is important, as it shows how profitable your website is. You can calculate the ROI for your website by comparing the cost per lead with the lead-to-close ratio. Once you have a number, compare that figure with your average customer value to work out how profitable your website is.

What are the different types of elder care available?

Choosing the right care option for yourself or an elderly relative is vital, but the options can be confusing. To cut the confusion, here is an explanation of the different types of care available, ranging from full-time nursing to a little help at home.

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Domiciliary or home care

This is the provision of help with daily tasks at home. This can include cooking and preparing meals, housekeeping, nursing and personal care and can range from a few sessions a week to live-in help and emergency care.

This type of care means independence can be retained, and these services can be accessed either through your local authority or an independent care agency. All providers of this kind of care are Care Quality Commission-regulated, and you should ensure that all individuals have undergone a DBS check.

Respite and replacement care

This offers regular carers a break and is sometimes funded by the local authority. Options include short residential home stays, night services and day centres.

Retirement villages and sheltered housing

This form of care can offer reassurance while allowing you or your relative to retain independence and can ensure that all carers have been DBS checked through companies such as http://www.carecheck.co.uk/. You will normally have access to an alarm system, along with communal areas.

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Care homes

Care homes without any nursing care offer more support than the previous options but do not provide specific medical expertise. This is the perfect choice if you need help with practical tasks such as moving around, taking medication, eating, getting dressed and washing yourself but do not need nursing care. Find out more about care home funding at http://www.ageuk.org.uk/home-and-care/care-homes/paying-for-permanent-residential-care/.

Care homes offering nursing care

This is the ideal choice if you need high levels of medical attention. Some will also specialise in particular conditions and disabilities. Many of this type of care home will have registered nurses working at all times.

Continuing care

This is NHS care for severe cases and is normally delivered by nurses at home or in nursing homes. This type of care is specifically aimed at freeing up hospital beds.

Hospice care

Hospices aim to improve life if you or your relative has a terminal illness. The care offered can be full-time or intermittent and can be provided at home or at a care home.

What are electrical control systems?

At its simplest, an electrical control system takes a signal or measurement from somewhere. This is known as the input, and it processes what it’s being told by this input. It then acts by changing another part of the system, and that’s the output.

Input-process-output are the fundamental elements of an electrical control system. Needless to say, when it comes to sophisticated engineering applications, many thousands of control systems are interacting and networking to provide control.

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Continuous and Discrete Time systems

There are two types of electrical control system: Continuous Time (CT) and Discrete Time (DT). DT systems process signals at set times or in set periods or sequences.

In CT systems, signals are continually being input to the control system. In an oil refinery, for example, sophisticated temperature sensors send information to the control system, which responds by increasing the furnace temperature, decreasing it, or switching pumps on or off. The refinery control system will be receiving many thousands of these inputs every minute, processing them and outputting control actions day and night to keep the refinery operating safely.

Electrical control components manufacturers make thousands of specialised and general use parts for every kind of electrical control system like those at http://www.osmelectrical.com/, both industrial and domestic.

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Closed loop and open loop

These are the other main types of electrical control systems. In an open loop system, the input-process-output sequence ends at the output point. The input may vary, but the output will not. For example, in a central heating system, the time of day will vary. However, if the timer is set to switch on the heating at a set time, when that time arrives and is registered by the control system, the boiler will be fired up. The house may be much colder than your thermostat setting in the middle of the night, but unless the time input matches the timer’s setting, the heating won’t come on.

 

In a closed loop system, the output is set to maintain a certain value, and the control system will monitor the inputs and adjust the output as required. If you don’t have a timer set on the heating but you do have a thermostat, it will send a feedback message to the control system to ensure that the system maintains the desired temperature, even in the middle of the night.

Roller blinds vs Venetian blinds

Blinds are a popular choice for window dressings and will often be far more economical than buying curtains. There’s also a lot of variety available, whether you prefer vertical, Venetian, Roman or roller blinds, wooden, fabric or paper.

Blinds are especially popular in bathrooms and kitchens, and the range available on the high street and online means customers can have almost any combination of colours or fabric finish.

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Two of the most popular are Venetian and roller blinds, which both have up and downsides. Your decision will be based on what look you prefer and what your specific requirements are. And it’s really worth remembering that to avoid costly mistakes when you buy and order online, you must measure, then measure again to be certain you’re ordering the right size! If you make a mistake in sizing up, you may find you can’t return the blind to the manufacturer.

Roller blinds

Roller blinds were seen as a functional item compared to other more decorative blinds but they have become more popular thanks to a greater variety being available in terms of colour and fabric. They are perhaps less versatile in terms of adjusting light levels, but they don’t need to be dusted, and depending on the fabric, many can be wiped down with a cloth. You can opt for waterproof roller blinds, and if you choose a blackout backing, they’re very effective at keeping light out which you might want in your bedrooms. PVC waterproof roller blinds are perfect for kitchens and bathrooms and any other damp environment, as they can be cleaned easily and are resistant to mildew and mould, which can affect your health if it’s not cleaned away (AUTHORITY URL: http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/Can-damp-and-mould-affect-my-health.aspx?CategoryID=87).

Venetian blinds

These are made up of horizontal strips of metal, plastic, vinyl or wood. The slats are adjusted to control the amount of light that comes in, or how much privacy you require, and because you can change the position of the strips very easily, you can ensure light gets in without it shining directly into the room and onto pictures or furniture, which can fade.

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The slats or strips can be quite fiddly to keep clean, although special cleaning tools can be bought cheaply, which do make dusting easier, and you can use a damp cloth to remove any other grease or dirt.

A Comprehensive Guide on Flat Belly Forever Program

Fat in the belly region is very difficult to lose. Today there are a majority of the people who are suffering from belly fat. There are plenty of reasons why people suffer from belly fat. One of the major reasons is the unhealthy lifestyle. But today there are a variety of the programs available that can help you in getting rid of the protruding belly. One such effective program is flat belly forever program this is a book written by renowned authors having expertise in fitness and weight loss. Click here to see the full details.

All about the program

In this book people will definitely find a solution to get a flat belly and have an attractive personality. The major thing explained in this book is one vital element that is largely responsible for weight loss, metabolism of body, energy level and much more. In a human body there are present both good and bad bacteria. According to the authors of the book the people who are healthy are having a very good amount of good bacteria. On the other hand people having a protruding belly have bad bacteria. The major problem is that even if people suffering from belly fat, eat and drink healthy, the ratio of the good and bad bacteria remains unchanged.

How these programs help you?

In this book people are going to find effective solutions for belly fat. From this book people will learn about the basic lifestyle that will lead to weight gain and also how they can prevent them. In the book there is a complete discussion on the exercise and food that will help with weight loss. This book provides useful information that you might have never heard before. In this book you will find tips and different ways to get in shape. This program is tested and proven and has worked for thousands of people all around the world.

This program provides step by step guide and also covers all the aspects that will help you in reducing your weight and you will get into shape in no time. There are flat belly forever reviews available that can also help you in getting to an informed decision whether or not to choose this program. Online you will find thousands of reviews from genuine people.

Success rate of this program

This program is hundred percent guaranteed and people will also get their money back if not satisfied. The number of positive reviews is growing day by day and has added credibility to the success of this program. This program is successful because of the proven techniques and tips and effective results which people are getting. This program has changed the life of many people and can be downloaded from the official website. Flat belly forever scam rumors were also there, but you can try this program on your own and know the truth. This program is guaranteed and scams do not come with guarantees. Those who want to get rid of their fat belly will find this program effective. Before indulging it is recommended to read the reviews.
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Australian Property Law – An Overview

You must have heard about the term property law. What comes to your mind when you hear this term? What is property law all about? You would relate it to your rights on your property? Exactly so; it governs different forms of tenancy and ownership rights on your real and personal property, as set by the legal system. In terms of law there is a difference between real and personal property. Anything that is immovable or static is your real property or real estate and anything that has a motion or is movable is regarded as your personal property like cars, furniture, jewellery, clothing, artwork, writings or household items.

In Australia the property law includes prioritising interests, rights and responsibilities of the individuals in regards to ownership or possession of an object. In the western property law, mostly the Australian Property Law focuses predominantly on land. This is due to higher value of land as compared to other kinds of property. Each and every state in Australia has its own regime for the bureaucratisation and regulations for land.

Apart from land, property law also includes regulations for Personal properties which include goods and chattels. This can be further divided under tangible and intangible property. There is another interesting segment that is the Intellectual property law. This law legally recognises and gives you exclusive rights to the creations of your mind. This right covers a selection of intangible assets such as literary, music, inventions and discoveries, artistic creation, brands and designs. You should be able to manage your Intellectual Property assets critically if you wish to establish yourself in the market. Some types of Intellectual Property might need you to fill in certain forms and clear some examinations to register. Intellectual property law commonly covers designs, patents, plant breeder’s rights and trade marks in Australia.

These different kinds of Intellectual rights reduce the possibility of your services and products being imitated by your competitor or rival trader.These intellectual rights are valuable assets and can be an addition in your balance sheet. They are of immense value and can be bought, sold, transferredand licensed as well. These rights have various attributes, like you get an exclusive right on your property so that no one else can make copies of it, but it is restricted to a time frame. For example a standard patent lasts for 20 years, copyrights last for 70 years and designs lasts for 10 years. For Trade Marks renewal fees needs to be paid every 10 years to keep it in force.

There are means through which you can make complete use of the Intellectual Property right. You need to make out an comprehensive strategy to exploit and protect your Intellectual property. You should also combine the all the registered and unregistered rights together to enhance the security of your intellectual property. If you wish to avail a patent or a design right, you need to keep your designs and inventions guarded. If you print your design in a magazine or anywhere else and then apply for the right on your design, you may not get it as it does not remain new anymore.

What is the origin of poker?

Current-day poker fans may be surprised to learn that the 52-card game they know is not the original version of the game.

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Where Did Poker Begin?

The first ‘poker-like’ games, albeit with smaller packs of cards, were played in 900 AD China, 17th-century Persia and ancient India.

Modern poker is a game based around a 52-card deck with suits of diamonds, hearts, spades and clubs, and the records show that the first game which used these and involved bluffs and wagers was the French game ‘pogue’, devised around 1480.

Although the Chinese had invented playing cards prior to AD 1000, their first appearance in Europe was via the Egyptians in the late 14th century. At that time the suits were quite different, as each country adapted the images to reflect things familiar to themselves; but it seems that regardless of appearance there were now 52 cards in a complete deck.

Early Versions of Poker

Indians played ‘Teen Patti’, which used 52 cards and shared some key features of contemporary poker, as does the ancient English card game ‘Brag’, which relies heavily on bluffing.

The appearance of riverboat gamblers in 1850s USA saw new versions of the game being developed, including the famous stud poker. Around 70 years later Texas Hold’em was developed to allow for larger groups of players. During this period the smaller 20-card deck was replaced with the now standard 52-card deck.

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Modern Poker

At the turn of the 20th century regular poker, now classified as a game of skill by the Attorney General, was legalized in Nevada, and the game continued to gain popularity.

Back then casinos hosted most games, and poker went from strength to strength. It was boosted again in the 1970s by the first World Series. Now many people prefer to play poker online for real money, using sites such as http://onlinecasinopokerroom.com/betonline-poker-review/.

From Then to Now

The rapid growth of the internet has changed the way people play poker and made the game more accessible too. Poker may have its origins in games played many centuries ago, but the versions popular now are just as relevant and fun. From seven-card stud and five-card draw to Omaha and Texas Hold’em, who knows what the next few hundred years will bring to the world of poker?

How to make the ultimate strawberry tart

The delicate aroma and flavour of summer strawberries is something to savour, and normally no accompaniment more than a dollop of cream is necessary to set them off to a tea. There is the odd occasion, however, when a fancier take is required, and this is where a delicious strawberry tart can come into its own.

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The pastry

Pâté sucrée is the most elegant pastry choice. It is crisp, thin and sweet and adds both flavour and texture to the dish. Just remember to chill it for a long time before baking it if you don’t want it to collapse in the hot oven.

If you can’t be bothered with the fuss of packing perfect patisserie-standard pastry, stick with rich shortcrust. If it’s good enough for the likes of Nigel Slater and Rosemary Shrager, it is probably good enough for you.

There are recipes for good shortcrust pastry all over the internet so you can choose the one you like most. One of the most popular, however, is the one found on the Delia Online website, which calls this humble pastry one of the best there is and even has a video showing you how it should be made.

The filling

A traditional tarte aux fraises is filled with a layer of vanilla crème patissière, which is a custard thickened with cornflour. A take on this vanilla custard theme can be found on the BBC’s website at http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/strawberry_and_custard_56738. Beware of overpowering the fruit if your custard is too sweet, just as you should be wary when using chocolate ganache or lemon curd. Lighter-tasting choices include yoghurt and sweetened double cream or sugar and reduced-fat cream cheese.

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The fruit

Just as different food recipes invariably feature twists according to individual tastes, such as those found at http://food-tales.com/, there are things you can do with your strawberries instead of just halving them and placing them on top of your tart.

You could make pink peppercorn and strawberry jam to sit at the bottom of your tart or soak your berries in honey and rose wine. Of course, if you’re a purist, you might be against using anything more than the fruit itself, and given the deliciousness of plump, juicy strawberries at this time of the year, it is hard to disagree.

Benefits of Bandage Leggings

The Bandage leggings are very popular nowadays and are used by people worldwide. The leggings are not new they have been used since the nineteenth century, and the bandage leggings are now more common. These bandage leggings are used for the covering the legs from ankle to knee, it is made to provide warmth and prevention or protection. It is a kind of tights which hold the leg tightly and it is very narrow that it can coil around the leg to hold it tight. It is now mostly replacing the leather wearing, and people prefer bandage leggings more and using them widely.

These bandage leggings are now designed with many unique ideas to wear them in public or in any occasion, now they are becoming as a fashions scheme. Firstly, they were used for holding the leg if one was suffering with an acute injury. Like after recovery of that injured person used to wear these bandage tights and bandage to protect their legs from the effects of weather like providing warmth in winters, and the other reason, because of which they were used in case of injury was that they are able to hold the legs in a straight manner and hold it straight to prevent from more injury. In case one was suffering from a broken ankle and after recovery they want to walk freely and want to prevent the ankle from damaging again they used to wear these leggings.

Bandage Leggings

But nowadays they are used in a fashion sense, a woman feels comfortable wearing I and it is becoming a trend to wear bandage leggings instead of the pajamas, tights and other leggings. These bandage leggings are now modified and transformed into many versatile schemes and designs. They are now designed with multiple color schemes with textures and other features printed on them.

Despite the fashion scheme and the trend these bandage leggings also help the children to prevent them from types of ichthyosis, in this case they have to wear these bandage leggings throughout the day and night, the kids are always happy to wear bandage legging because they are more comfortable in them. These bandage leggings can also be carried by a child even in schools under their uniforms. It helps and prevents the child from tautness and cracks. It prevents the several skin conditions or help to go through these conditions comfortably.

These bandage leggings are suitable for every season like spring, summer, autumns and winters. Women are especially attracted and appealed towards them because they are now available in ever versatile designs and color and they can be worn with any type of dresses on occasion or in daily life routine. They are also used by women because of the reason that they are able to hold the skin tight and fix around the skin, which looks stunning and one also feels comfortable in walking or even can run while wearing bandage leggings. These leggings are now worn worldwide due to demand of fashion.