Make your own masterpieces - freshly painted focal points for any room

(BPT) - Still love the overall design scheme of a space, but feeling a little bored? The best way to breathe new life into it - without revamping the entire area - is by creating a new focal wall. Instead of a decal, stencil or pricey artwork, make a statement that's one-of-a-kind with a little creativity and painter's tape.

Heavy patterns on every wall can be overwhelming; adding zest to just one is your best bet to make a positive impact. Before you begin, scan the room to determine the best wall to update. When you enter the space, where do your eyes naturally gravitate? If it's an area that you love, amp up the style to make it really stand out. But if it's something that catches your eye for all the wrong reasons, pick a different side of the room. Repositioning the focal point will draw attention away from the elements you don't like or can't easily change, like architectural features, window placement or heating and cooling returns.

Once you've determined where you're going to paint, it's time to think about what. Here are a few easy ideas to get the creativity flowing.

Awesome artwork

Purchasing oversized artwork can be pricey - ranging anywhere from hundreds to even thousands of dollars. Don't shell out a ton of cash to add personality to an empty wall when it's easy to make your own art. Bring your design ideas to life with new FrogTape Shape Tape - a painter's tape cut into unique patterns that allows you to quickly and effortlessly create works of art on walls, accessories, furniture and more. The three Shape Tape patterns - Wave, Scallop and Chevron - can be positioned on surfaces in various ways to achieve different results; by staggering the tape or varying the placement widths, you can make your own impressive designs. Best of all, patented PaintBlock Technology on the edges of FrogTape Shape Tape helps prevent paint bleed and leaves precise lines, keeping your artwork looking sharp. For more information visit frogtape.com.

You can create one oversized piece of art directly on the wall, or paint a number of smaller canvases that can be arranged as a DIY gallery. Whatever you choose, you'll have a new focal point that will surely serve as a conversation starter at your next get-together.

Natural touch

Creating a mural on one wall is extremely popular, especially one that helps bring the feel of the outdoors inside. Trees are an easy element to paint on any wall. For a sophisticated look, keep it simple with silhouettes. Use painter's tape to create the outline of birch trees from the floor to the ceiling, leaving six to 12 inches between each trunk. Paint all the trees using the same color. Be sure to use a shade that coordinates with the rest of the room, or a neutral like white, gray or beige delivers a crisp look.

Fabulous faux framing

If your house is lacking interesting architectural features like decorative molding, you can mimic the look with paint and painter's tape. Measuring and installing the real deal can be time-intensive and tedious, but using paint is an easy way to dress up a space without the cost and labor of installing numerous pieces of trim. From crown molding to wainscoting, using paint to imitate intricate trim work will add high style to your home.

For a stunning makeover, apply painter's tape three feet up from the floor along the entire wall to emulate a chair rail. Then, add additional squares and rectangles in a repeating pattern below. Apply a fresh coat of paint in a color that coordinates with the original wall color; and once you remove the tape, you'll have crisp lines that look like molding... without all the work.

Next time you're looking to spruce up a space, think beyond painting your walls a solid color. With a little imagination and painter's tape, you can design eye-catching rooms throughout the entire house.

Family fun that is quick and delicious, easy and nutritious

Making your own version of your favorite take-out meals at home means you can control the amount of sodium and fat your family is consuming without compromising on flavor. If you stock your freezer with whole-wheat pita and your pantry with healthy pasta sauce, you will always have the base for a perfect Pitazza at a moment's notice.

Healthy cooking tip: To add protein to your Pitazza without the extra sodium, roast a whole chicken. Remove the meat and store in your fridge. Freeze the bones for when you have spare time to make your own, low-sodium chicken broth.

Prep time: 8 minutes

Bake time: 15 minutes

Serves: 2

Serving Size: ½ pita

Calories per serving: 202

Ingredients:

• ½ cup (125 mL) Healthy Choice Garlic and Fine Herb pasta sauce

• 1 90g whole wheat pita, split in half to make 2 circles

• ½ cup (125 mL) finely sliced peppers (red, orange and/or yellow)

• ½ cup (125 mL) sliced mushrooms

• ¼ cup (50 mL) minced red onion

• 2 tbsp. low-fat feta cheese crumbled or your favorite low-fat cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400F/205C.

• On large baking sheet arrange pita bread

• Spread ¼ cup (75 mL) Healthy Choice Garlic and Fine Herb tomato sauce evenly on each pita half

• Top with ¼ cup (50 mL) each: peppers, mushroom and 2 tbsp.(25 mL) red onion.

• Evenly sprinkle crumbled feta cheese; bake for 12 minutes or until the pita crust is golden.

• Slice Pitazza into two pieces, serve with garden salad.

Tip: Top with diced chicken for an extra protein punch

Tip: Make it Naanzza using low fat, low sodium naan bread

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Helping moms get finances on track for now and the future

(BPT) - Being a mom is a full-time job. No matter how old the children are, a mom is on call at all hours of the day and night, responding to injuries and broken hearts, handling homework questions, setting household rules, and establishing consequences if said rules are broken. But moms often have other jobs as well, juggling household chores, managing finances and often holding a full-time job.

Unfortunately, when the work load becomes too much, something can fall by the wayside, and often that something is finances. Only 24 percent of moms report they are satisfied with their current financial situation. They admit they are struggling to make ends meet, or are worried about their financial future, according to the -State of the American Mom Study released by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual).

"It's no secret in today's world that moms are stretched thin, but their finances shouldn't have to suffer as a result," says Tara Reynolds, corporate vice president with MassMutual.

Moms can get their finances on track with a few tips from MassMutual:

* Be prepared - Emergencies are not predictable, but if you have an emergency fund, you can protect yourself and your future plans for your family if you find yourself in a troubling financial situation.

* Protect your income - Families often don't take into account the salary a stay-at-home mom would earn if she were to be paid for the work she does. If something were to happen to you as a stay-at-home mom, preventing you from doing these duties, your family may experience some troubling out-of-pocket expenses. With the help of a financial professional, you can explore financial options to ensure that you're planning ahead adequately no matter what the future holds.

"Luckily, finding an experienced professional for your finances can be easier than finding help for child care or other things that cause stress for today's moms," Reynolds says. "This can make all the difference in helping moms achieve financial security for themselves and their families."

* Plan now, not later - Don't procrastinate when it comes to planning for your financial future. No one knows what the future will bring, so now is the time to sit down and think about how to pass your assets - but not your taxes - to your heirs.

* Have the talk - Schedule a monthly meeting to sit down with your spouse or significant other - or children if they're old enough - to discuss your finances. It's critical for family members to have a full understanding of all debt and assets in order to build a realistic plan.

The survey found only one-third of moms currently use the services of a financial professional to help them with their investments and insurance needs. Set up a meeting today to get your finances on track for both your current needs and those of the future.

Think of lighting as art for your home

Lighting is possibly the most powerful tool you have when it comes to interior design. It does not make sense to invest in beautiful furniture, rugs, paintings and accessories if they are in the dark. The perfect light fixture not only illuminates a space - it is also a beautiful, decorative design element.



"When looking for a light fixture, think of yourself as a curator looking for a perfect piece of art," says interior designer Laurie Smith, known for her role as a featured designer on the hit television show Trading Spaces. Smith says, "Like art, a fabulous fixture can make a strong design statement, as well as provide illumination for your space."



Often consumers do not realize the difference updated lighting can make in their homes. Smith suggests finding one special piece and building a room around it. "In design school, we learned that lighting is the most exciting and mysterious medium in design. Lighting is sculptural; it's textural, it's exciting," she says.

"There are so many varying styles and designs in lighting today that the possibilities are endless. Different materials and shapes are just part of what goes into determining that perfect fixture," says Smith. "For instance, do you want the shape of your piece to contrast with your room's schematic or coordinate with it? Taking a traditional fixture and placing it into a modern setting creates interest through contrast, while taking a sleek modern fixture and putting it into a traditional setting infuses new vitality and a sophisticated accent."

With so many choices on the market, the task of selecting a light fixture can be difficult and overwhelming for many homeowners. It's just a matter of developing a plan or one idea. To help consumers get started, Smith talks about the importance of lighting to interior design in a new video series. Each minute-long video focuses on a different aspect of lighting and ways to incorporate it into every homeowner's design plan.

Videos in the series include:

* Choosing the Right Lighting Fixture

* Find an Object of Inspiration

* The Impact of a Single Lamp

* Lighting Fixtures as Art

Whether looking for one fixture or a complete lighting design plan, a great place to start is at a lighting retail showroom. There you will find professionally trained staff to help you select the perfect light for your space.

Anthony Bourdain talks last meal on earth, advice for restaurateurs; old-school cocktails

(BPT) - TV's best-fed hedonist, Anthony Bourdain, is keeping busy these days with his hit travel series "Parts Unknown," his publishing career and an upcoming appearance at this year's National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago. Love him or hate him, Bourdain is the biggest, baddest food dude on the planet. The self-proclaimed "chef slacker" shares his advice for restaurateurs and new chefs, and talks about his desired last meal on Earth and love of old-school cocktails.



Q. You have 24 hours left on Earth: Where would you go, and what would you eat?



A. "Sukiyabashi Jiro in Tokyo. I would sit down in front of the greatest sushi master that I've ever met and eat whatever he puts down in front of me. That would probably take about 22 minutes, if past experiences are my guide. I've had it before, and it's one of the greatest meals of my life. If I'm going to be shot in the back of the head after a meal, that would be a good way to go."



Q. You've made it well-known that you started in the restaurant industry by washing dishes. What's one piece of advice that you wish you could tell your former self about the restaurant industry?



A. "I was a very happy dishwasher! I just wanted to be part of it. I didn't want to necessarily rule the world. I made a lot of decisions along the way where I chose to have fun rather than to excel. I chose to be a chef rather than the student of a really talented first-rate chef. I made a conscious decision not be the best that I can be. I was pretty set in my ways about the kinds of kitchens that I felt comfortable in and wanted to work in, and that was not conducive to me ever becoming a Michelin-starred chef. I think that the greatest lesson I ever learned in the restaurant business (and I learned it early) was: Show up on time. Whatever work, whatever commitment, you have, always show up on time to show the people who you work with the respect that you can at least do that."



Q. Which chefs are most exciting to you now that you could see establishing future partnerships within your publishing career?



A. "For the chefs that I've published and hope to publish, it's not just about the food. It's people who are doing interesting things and who have an interesting story and point of view. The recent chef books I would have loved to publish would be Gabrielle Hamilton's memoir (Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef) of The Joe Beef Guys. There are real voices there of people who are saying something new and interesting to create a whole world and mindset that explains the food. Generally speaking, I look for someone who has a powerful voice and can explain why they cook the way that they cook in a personal and dynamic way. Roy Choi's book is coming out soon, and I think that he will be a good example of that."



Q. What's the best advice that you have for restaurateurs facing the challenges of today?



A. "Today's restaurants need to have a concise vision of what they are good at and what they have to offer that is different from the guy across the street. Restaurateurs need to speak in a strong confident voice, saying, 'I might not be good at some things, but I'm good at this, and this is what I'm going to do.' I think the days of trying to be everything to everybody are over now. We have an empowered chef class now and a much more curious, daring and younger dining public. I think the future is going to be chefs who speak with a coherent, concise voice with a real identity. Own that this is what I do. More of like in Asia where you have the roast duck guy and the chicken and rice guy."



Q. What do you look for in your favorite cocktail?-



A. "I am a big fan of cocktails, but if takes you more than 10 minutes to make it, there's a problem. I'm an old-school guy: Give me a good Manhattan, old fashioned, or the perfect Negroni with the finest gin, vermouth and campari with maybe a slightly toasted almond zest, and I'm a happy guy. I think the standard for me is, is the drink that I'm about to make with bourbon better than bourbon?"

For richer or poorer: Don't let newlywed bliss turn into financial nightmare

"Communication is a key part of a strong marriage, and it's also the basis for a strong financial partnership," says Barrett Burns, president and CEO of VantageScore Solutions. "Being proactive before and planning ahead of the wedding while sticking to a financial plan will help guard against common financial mistakes that can occur early in a couple's life together."



To start your new life together with a strong financial foundation, check off a few important money to-dos before you say "I do!"



1. Have the debt talk



All couples must have the debt talk. It may not be romantic, but it is necessary in order to plan a bright future together. Be open and honest about debt, savings and spending habits, even if they are less than perfect.



Financial turmoil is one of the top reasons cited for divorce, so understanding each other's finances today and what goals you have for the future will help reduce stress on your partnership. With the average college student graduating with $26,600 in student loan debt, according to The Project on Student Debt, young couples need to create a plan for managing debt and saving for the future.



2. Control wedding spending



The "big day" is a defining moment in life, but it's important for couples to remember it's just one day of many that they will spend together. Weddings and related events cost a whopping $28,427 on average, according to theknot.com, and that doesn't even include the honeymoon.



"When it comes to young couples planning a dream wedding, the plastic tends to be relied upon," says Burns. "It's important to be realistic about how much you can spend. Becoming over extended on credit cards is a common mistake, and this type of high-interest debt is not the wisest way to begin your lives together."



The best course of action when it comes to wedding planning is to create a budget and stick to it. It's not necessarily bad to use credit, especially if you can take advantage of a credit card rewards program, but Burns advises only charging or borrowing what you know you can pay back in a reasonable amount of time as keeping high balances and missing payments can have significantly negative impacts on your credit score, which in turn leads to stress.



3. Work together to build a positive credit profile



Married couples do not have joint credit files or credit scores. Each individual has their credit files with the credit reporting companies and their own credit scores, but in some cases like when joint accounts and co-signed loans are created, the actions of one can impact the other.



"It's common for younger people who are just beginning their financial independence to not have much, if any, credit history. It's important to be proactive and take steps to build a positive credit profile and score so you can demonstrate to lenders that you are a good manager of credit," says Burns.



Get a copy of your credit report and resolve any issue you may have with the information presented in it. If you have a limited credit history, carefully consider the benefits of joint accounts, but keep in mind that the positive financial actions like paying bills on-time and keeping balances low, as well as actions that can have negative impacts like missing payments will influence the couples' individual credit scores.



"The importance of paying bills on time cannot be understated," says Burns. "A single missed payment can drop each person's credit score 80 to 100 points. This can affect a couple's ability to get the best interest rates and terms for a loan."



Another important step in building credit after a marriage is to make sure that all financial lenders are aware of name changes. "If you choose to change your name after you are married, make sure all your accounts have your current information, otherwise positive actions may not get reported correctly or in a timely manner," Burns says.



4. Shop around for rates



"Whether you're taking out a personal loan or selecting a credit card, you absolutely must shop around for rates," advises Burns. "Don't just take the easiest or first option. You want to get the best deal available with low interest rates and reasonable terms."



When shopping for rates, Burns notes to do so within a two week period of time. Credit inquiries from auto and mortgage lenders and credit cards issued from banks and credit unions are only counted once if done in a two week period causing just a slight decrease to credit scores.



Finally, couples soon to be married or those that recently were married can also test their knowledge about credit scores at www.CreditScoreQuiz.org, a website created by VantageScore Solutions and its partner, Consumer Federation of America, one of the largest consumer advocates in the country.

MARCH 2016 MARKET UPDATE

March 2016

Included in this blog post is a link to my Real Estate Update Newsletter. Please click on the link below to get the latest Real Estate Update for March! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call or email my office. 

614-882-6725

delena@delena.com

http://realtytimes.com/208/DeLenaCiamacco

Hiring tips to help avoid nanny nightmares

(BPT) - Movie nannies might work for a spoonful of sugar, and hugs and kisses, but in the real world nannies - no matter how loving and attentive they are - need to get paid a salary. When you're ready to hire a nanny, you can go through the most rigorous background checks, confirm references, interview extensively and hire the caregiver of your dreams - and still find yourself in the middle of a nanny nightmare if you run afoul of tax laws.


Fortunately, online payroll services can help take the confusion out of paying your nanny, and ensure he or she gets paid on time and according to the law. Although nanny-hiring goes on year round, many more families may undertake the task as the school year gets started. SurePayroll offers some tips for hiring and paying a nanny:

* Make a list of nanny must-haves, such as schedule availability, disciplinary practices, experience with multiple kids, etc. Next, create a list of preferences that are negotiable. Setting your priorities before you begin looking for a nanny will help you make the right decision.

* Involve others, including people whose referrals you trust, such as family members, friends, teachers and co-workers. Ask them for help in finding candidates, and don't forget to involve your kids. Give them a few minutes to meet each nanny candidate during the interview; after all, they'll be the ones most affected by your choice.

* Remember, you're entering a business relationship - albeit one of the most important ones in your life. Keep things professional during the interview and be sure to ask all the tough questions about topics that are important to your family.

* Don't overlook online resources and professional organizations. Selection services like SitterCity can help you identify and screen appropriate candidates, and the International Nanny Association provides information, advice and a directory on its website. Be sure to use background checks, which can easily be done online, check multiple references and personally interview every candidate at least once before making a final decision.

* Discuss wages and base your offer on the nanny's level of experience and what other nannies in your area are getting. Federal law requires nannies must get at least minimum wage, and they may be entitled to overtime.

* Prepare paperwork to ensure you can avoid tax penalties. You'll need a 1040-ES, a signature-ready Schedule H, the annual 1040 and a W-2. If you pay a seasonal nanny more than $1,000 per quarter or $2,000 per year, you'll probably need to pay the "Nanny Tax," which includes Social Security, Medicare and federal unemployment tax (FUTA).

* Set up payroll for your nanny, and plan to pay him or her by either direct deposit or check. You'll need to make provisions to pay Social Security, Medicare, FUTA and other payroll taxes, including any state or local taxes that may apply. Track tax deductions, medical benefits and other insurance. Remember, mistakes can cost you: failing to pay the IRS nanny taxes can lead to back taxes, penalties, interest and fines of up to $25,000.

An online payroll provider like SurePayroll can help you stay on the right side of the law by managing the pay, tax and filing tasks for your nanny. Log on to www.surepayroll.com to learn more.

"Your nanny will be one of the most important people in your family's lives," Bolas notes. "It's important to start off on the right foot with good communication and ensuring payroll tasks go smoothly."