For a flower vase design using cork try this: Choose a glass vase that you enjoy. Pick any color glass to accentuate the look of the cork.
Thoroughly clean and dry the vase. You can choose from several design options with this vase. For a fun, bubbly look try using adhesive-backed cork circles. Alternating sizes and spacing for a whimsical appearance or try a symmetrical look by cutting an adhesive-backed cork sheet into small strips. You can cut the strips in alternating sizes or keep them identical. Glue the strips starting at the base of the vase and winding them diagonally to the top. You can attach them horizontally, vertically or diagonally, whichever looks best with your remaining decorations.

Create a simple cork, cheese serving platter like this: Simply cut a round circle out of a cork sheet to a size that you prefer. Use a standard plate as an example. Purchase a strip of dark cork and glue this strip to the outside edge of the round serving-plate cork circle. This darker, outer strip creates the appearance of a sliced log serving tray. For a napkin ring design try this: Using a cork sheet, cut thick strips of cork that will allow your napkins to slide in and out of easily. This will depend on your napkins fabric. Once you have cut the appropriate lengths of cork, then you can decide to paint your guests names onto the holders with acrylic paint, or burn the names into the holders with a wood burning tool. Now, twist the ring once and glue the ends together; use binder clips to hold until dry. Slide rolled fabric napkins into finished rings.

Finally, you can create unique cork coasters like this: Cut a sheet of cork into desired amount of 4”x4” coaster sized squares. Now, paint the coasters if desired, with acrylic paint. Cut ¼” slits in the coasters surface and keep the slits around ¼” away from the sides. Use remaining cork pieces to cut ¼” strips matching the 4” size (you may need up to eight strips per coaster). Paint these strips separate colors or leave original for a hand-crafted feel, and allow to dry. Then, weave the strips in and out of the pre-cut slits to create a woven coaster. Be sure that the strips are woven so that the ends are tucked under on the final weave. These many cute projects can make for an inexpensive and fun project for you and the family to create together.

To create a simple, kid-friendly, spill-friendly, and generally friendly table runner with optional candle holders built right in try this nifty idea. You will need three to four candles (long-stem tapers in your fav color) and a sheet of cork that is suitable for the length and size of your home’s table. Using a measuring stick, mark off the edges of your table on the sheet of cork and using a new-bladed utility knife cut the sheet to size. Then, simply measure the width of a candles base, locate three places in the cork where a candle would look appropriate, and cut an “X” (each line about one inch longer then the width of the candle) in each spot.

Insert a taper-candle into each “X” and add a short candle holder under each if necessary. For a fresh, fruit bowl made of cork try this: Cut two or three sheets of cork at least six to seven inches in width (the size of desired fruit or veggies) and as long as desired to hold delectable foods. Use acrylic paints to coat either side of the cork, then allow drying to complete. Make a cut down the center of the short ends of the sheets, at least three inches deep; place one corner over the other and adhere with wood glue to create a bowed end (hold in place with binder clips until dry). These great gravy-boat looking cork bowl fruit baskets will make a great convo piece.

After you have selected your theme, and you know what you are looking for, then your hunt begins. You should start by making a list of all the items that you plan to buy (or like-items). You may even want to visit the local Sherwin-Williams store for color swatches that you plan to use as far as paint and color-scheming are concerned. This can give you a great basis for beginnings.

Start your search online. Visit local online communities dedicated to the recycling of gently-used decorating items. These types of communities are easy to find and they are everywhere. This is a great concept for many reasons, but number one, it is good for the environment and this is why so many people are taking part in this sort-of online swapping. It keeps items in circulation that would otherwise end up in land-fills or trash-dumps. You can find gently-used and sometimes brand new items for absolutely nothing just by putting a request out there, or answering a request from another person.

Next, you will want to put ads in free catalogs and newspapers. This type of advertisement request is usually free, in most cases, and you can find that there are many places to post reverse-ads in your local community advertising papers. By placing reverse-ads you will be reaching thousands of potential givers and alerting then to your needs. These are one of the best formats for you as a purchaser. This way you get to name your price for others to see, instead of vice-versa. If your wants match their giving desires then you may end up with quality goods for an exceptional price.

Now you will want to go shopping. No department stores. Just search the second-hand shops, flea-markets, yard sales, ect. This is a great starting place and a fabulous way to find unique items to easily refurbish or paint for an exceptional deal. You may find some interesting items that would never be available on today’s market. Do be wary of older items that may contain lead by purchasing and using a swab-led-test-kit when you shop these second-hand markets.

This topic will have a major grasp on the individual needs of your child. If you have a special needs child the tutoring will need to be complimentary to those demands. But no matter what the specifics of the tutoring you just need somewhere to start. This is the fun part. You go from parent to interviewer in ten seconds or less. You have your child’s learning progress in your hands. Parents know best and this means that you are the best person for this job. You know the ups and downs, pros and cons, of your child’s many years of schooling so you know where to point the specifics. The only trouble with picking a tutor can be the extreme cost of most certified tutoring specialists. The deeper your demands reach the deeper they reach for payment and this can become a wage-war.

As long as you know the details you can begin your own bargaining. If you jump straight to the yellow-pages you may be disappointed in the over-all cost and therefore end up thrown off the wagon all together. Do not get discouraged if you have done this. Professionals can be a hefty place to start. When you need this type of help you may want to consider other options for your child. A good place to start would be a visit with your child’s school counselor. Find out other options available through the school such as study groups and like-minded parents who are searching for alternatives as well.

If your child needs more one on one attention than a study-group then you may even find more information on senior study-aid programs within the school. For some senior students they will look for college credit in programs that offer younger children tutoring. They are not only helping, for free, but they are also getting credit for their college. Begin with this idea and search. Some of these college-bound students will even advertise in the schools office or newspaper so investigate your options within the school before searching the high-priced tutors.

Even though we live in the age of picture phones, no one wants to cherish treasured memories from a blurry, dark photo taken on their phone. There are ways to preserve memories without carrying around a full-sized camera around all day, every day. With each passing day new inventions are being presented with innovative designs in camera technology. From mini-camera’s, to credit card sized camcorders, and even camera’s that you hang from your key chain. I’ve seen digital cameras the size of a walnut and have wished to see it in my stocking for Christmas.

The point here is the availability of compact options for controlling your photo taking. For only twenty-five dollars you can own a mini-digi that can go with you anywhere, and is water-proof for those trips to the lake. Digital cameras are the, hands-down, best way to preserve your favorite moments without all of the expense involved with film. You go home and upload the images to your PC and send them to everyone you know, print them on photo paper, and hang it on the fridge for year-long viewing.

Even if you don’t have the money on-hand to purchase a miniature camera you can drop by the local drug store and purchase one-time-use digital camera for about the price of one development of regular film. You can even get the option of receiving a picture CD with all of your pictures stored easily and ready to pop into your disc-drive. There are too many options available to you for any memory to go un-snapped. You are equipped in the age of technology for every movement and breathe of your child’s life. The refrigerator is not just for school work anymore. Printing your own pictures is the easy way to “upload” family photos to your fridge. You have the family, the children, and the power to treasure every minute of their young lives. We get one life, one childhood, and it should never go un-kept. When our parents were young, the options weren’t as readily available to them, and the quality was nowhere near the quality we have today. Harness that, and create projects, photos, and videos that your child will want to look at again and again when they grow up. They will thank you.

Tranquility can be hard to find but when you know the right key to use, that door of opportunity always opens at the right times. You, being a cornerstone to the household, have one important factor that offers you this bond for little effort. When you use this factor you start to see results immediately, and those who already utilize it know what I mean.

Honesty. This is the key, the great secret, the true faceplate for family oneness. When you create your life around honesty you can be assured that your whole family will begin to look at you through open eyes, and understanding connection and communication. When you become completely honest with yourself and your family you open doors that were closed prior. In honesty I don’t mean that you were lying before. This type of honesty is an honesty of self. You give your true self to your wife/husband, to your kids, even friends and family. This is when you learn to be open and truly honest when you speak. You go to them with respect, true concern, and heartfelt oneness.

When you begin to impress honesty upon your every move with your family, they begin to see you and your motives of love at first sight and they begin to read you, know you, and love you for the openness and fairness that you display. It teaches your children courage to be who they truly are, and to feel free about expressing themselves to you and with you without hesitation. Your unreserved behavior with them, allows them to be unreserved with you, and with children this can be one of the biggest blessing for any parent. But you can never receive this full respect when you do not feel comfortable enough with them to be fully representative about yourself with them. Children, tween’s, and teens need to know that you trust them in everyday conversation and opinions before they will feels secure enough within themselves to open up fully and completely with you. Show them the honest example and they will follow. Some see it as vulnerability, so therefore their children will grow up thinking that honesty and being open with those you love is a vulnerability. You can’t risk this way of thinking if you love your children, your wife, your family.

Some families have homes that seem to remain spotless indefinitely, while others carry the burden of constant cleaning and never seem to have the house spotless. There are many factors, such as pets, or country surroundings, that can attribute to the over-all state of the home. No matter what condition your home is in you can always find an excuse to pull the family together for a family-meeting to set up a time for a family cleaning day. This type of day is planned by simply picking a day that works for everyone; kids, parents, and pets alike. Once the schedule is figured out, and the day is set, it is time to plan the day’s events. Write out a simple chart that depicts each family member and their corresponding activities for the day. Be sure to set tasks that correspond to the age of the children.

You can create a day of festive snack foods and music even though the idea is to clean and organize the house. The night before have the kids help you to make and cut-up finger foods for the next day and prepare jugs of fresh tea and lemonade for the day of hard work ahead. By introducing this type of pact-cleaning you can instill qualities of fulfillment, goal-setting, and quality work within your kids. This can help you and your children to grow closer as you work together as a team to complete the tasks assigned. Once the job is done and the chores are completed you can begin to agree on a simple reward system. Rewarding your kids for a job well-done is an impressive way of being a good example. We all love to be noticed for our efforts. Kids are especially impressionable and need to be shown respect and gratitude for doing so well. Make it pizza-and-a-movie-night, make the early evening hours available for a little family Frisbee-golf at the local park. No matter what you decide to do, do it as a family, and the act of togetherness will continue on through the years.

Before you blow your child’s in-depth questions out the window, or tell them that a stork delivered their baby sister to the doorstep, you may want to stop for ten seconds and resume with an answer such as “Honey, I am glad that you came to me to ask about this. Why don’t you go finish your homework and when you are done we will sit down and have a chat about it, ok?”

Before you unconsciously tell them that the topic is inappropriate, or generally bad, they need to know that you are secure in your open-and-honest relationship with them as their parent. Sometimes parents may feel as though their child is a bit too young for a specific topic, when in fact, the average child may need to know three years prior. Certain issues can be touchy, but the big topics such as sex and inappropriate behavior, should not be held back from fear or general silence. Children as young as four and five need to know what abuse and sexual misconduct are. They need to know topics such as how to handle meeting strangers and other general topics.

It may be somewhat hard to discuss certain issues as your child ages, but the general consensus is that you are better off answering your child in a respectful and adult-like way rather than have them come to you two years too late to inform you that they’ve made the mistake that could’ve been prevented with honesty. Don’t be ashamed, be a good parent. Be an active listener and be an open forum for any questions your child may have. You can have the ears of a friend and still have grounded advice and knowledge of a parent.

You can easily find help on topics that are a little harsh for you to discuss. There are books to be found on any subject. And be aware that the internet is a great place to find informative blogs, school counselors can offer advice for free, and you can even visit your community church for spiritual advice. This is your child and they deserve the best you can give them; communication is free.

The most spectacular event that has been seen in recent home-buying-history is the government enforced ‘first-time-home-buyers’ tax credit. This is a flat eight thousand dollar tax credit, which you will receive on your taxes, for purchasing a first home. With the home market kicking down to a slow crawl at the beginning of 2009 there had to be something done; this was a good answer. There is still time to enjoy this incredible discount. It will end in December 2009 which still leaves several months to take advantage.

On top of this amazing tax credit the time to look for amazing deals on homes is now. Due to high volume of foreclosed homes throughout the year it has been extremely easy to find and purchase foreclosed homes. These homes are usually listed in the weekly, local papers, and can be found listed in the annals of the local courthouse.

You must beware of the scams that are revolving around the foreclosure listings. There are several companies that are offering “foreclosure listings” to the public but the only problem is that they are charging the public between 60$ and 300$ for what they call a “complete” list of homes (in your area). This is a scam, a gimmick, and I would ask that anyone looking into the purchase of one of these lists to highly reconsider.

Most of these listing are old, sold, or cold and you are paying for this info. Beware that this information is free to the public from the local government and if you search via your county website and your local papers for the same (or better) information than those you would possibly be spending more than one hundred dollars on. So use common sense when looking into foreclosure listings that sound too good to be true. They cost so much that they can’t even say how much they truly are on radio or television

Children today are just as busy and stressed as their parents. With all of the appointments, soccer games, Girl Scout meetings, gymnastics tournaments, karate classes, and never ending doses of get-up-and-go how are our children suppose to value their health as much as they value dance lessons? We are the leaders who are sending the next generation onto the future. We must value that as our parents did. Nights at the dinner table are slowly ending and turning into nights around the coffee table and in front of the television. How can we take the health of our children and put it in a place that stands above all of those other appointments and meetings?

No matter how busy life can get we cannot sacrifice the livelihood of our kids for the entertainment value of life. Without the proper nutrition and healthy foods those soccer games and gymnastic tournaments are only going to cause them health problems. It is time to step up to the plate and demand better health for your kids.

Sit down with your children one night and grab a pen and paper. Discuss the issue of health with them and invite them to offer ideas for creating healthier snacks ad meals. Ask them suggestions and meal ideas that they would enjoy eating, and share ideas back and forth. You may be surprised at the amount of enthusiasm that you receive from your kids. The general idea is that once your kids get the chance to help in the kitchen that it can turn into a tradition of family time and helping hands. Create a schedule of three to four nights a week where you will have the children either do the prep-work for the meals, or select one night of the week when the kids will actually make the entire meal (if their age permits) with only minimal help, and of course, supervision. You can turn healthy meals into a fun way to bring the family closer together. Come to a decision based on these ideas and declare war on the junk food days. Declare war on eating dinner with television-zombies and help your family become closer by simply eating healthier. Jump in head-first and you’ll see some pretty amazing results begin to flourish.