Glory Tuesday

Making home improvements can be a daunting task. There are so many things to do and not enough time or money to do it all. Then once the funds are available, deciding on the right product and service can be another laborious task. As challenging as it may be, there are some tasks that you don’t want to put off. One of those tasks is finding quality window treatments. Window treatments may seem like just another home decor item, especially to the guys, but they actually do a lot for your home.

Good quality window treatments can help improve your homes security and privacy. This can be of particular importance if you live in the city or a densely populated area. There are also many energy efficient options now available that help cut the amount of UV rays that enter your home; therefore lowering your energy costs.

One of the first things to consider when looking at various forms of window treatments is the material that they are made of. Today many companies make their blinds out of vinyl or aluminum. These are both viable options considering where they will be used and your budget. For a more natural option, there are wood blinds that may be a little more expensive but are definitely high quality. The one thing you want to make sure to avoid is anything containing lead as it could lead to poisoning .

Another window treatment option that has become increasingly popular in recent years is shades. Shades also come in a variety of materials and fabrics. There are some that come in thicker fabrics that help decrease the amount of light that comes in, while others are sheer and more for decoration. Shades also have many natural choices like bamboo and wood that are practical and decorative at the same time.

No matter what type of window treatments you decide on, the most important thing is that they fit your needs and your home.

There are so many great historic landmarks in the city of London that deciding where you want to go can be a difficult process. The Globe Theatre is one of the most popular attractions and is also one of the city’s most significant landmarks. It exists on the exact location of where William Shakespeare originally built his theatre, though the current building is actually a reproduction of the original theatre, which had a few unfortunate occurrences, and I’m not talking about bad performances or stinking reviews. The contemporary reproduction version draws huge crowds who just want to see the building and even more who want to watch an actual performance.

The Globe was originally constructed in 1599 and it was built using the wood from the company’s former theatre, which was simply called The Theatre. It was only thirteen years later that the Globe saw its first tragedy as it erupted into flames during a performance of Henry the Eighth. The theatre was rebuilt the following year though later in 1642 the Puritans would raze this theatre and the others when they closed them down and made the art illegal. Shakespeare had long retired and had passed on by this time.

The contemporary Globe Theatre exists in the same location as the original on the west side of the Southwark Bridge Road. The modern version first opened to audiences in 1997 and has been bringing the bard’s productions to the new stage on a regular basis since then. It can be a thrilling event to see the plays performed on a stage that is almost identical to the one used by Shakespeare and is in fact in the same location. Romeo and Juliet, A Mid Summer Night’s Dream and Twelfth Night continue to be popular audience hits. The new theatre seats approximately three thousand people, which would have been similar to the original house. It includes both balcony seating and the floor or standing space, which was traditionally reserved for the penny groundlings. This is one of the favorite things to do for guests in the great hotels in London .

Los Angeles may not be the first place you think when you’re hunting for a fun family get away that might be educational for the whole family. However, the City of Angels is actually home to several gems where kids of all ages can find something interesting to see or do.

The most obvious things to do as a family that comes to mind is the studio and theme park tours. These actually can hide some nuggets of wisdom and are probably conveniently located if you’re staying in one of the many five star hotels Los Angeles has surrounding them. At Disneyland they can learn about the history of animation since this is where it all started and Universal Studios still has a special bungalow on site that was where Alfred Hitchcock lived while filming his famous movies. You won’t believe what happened to the Munster’s old place.

For somewhere a little more frugal there is always the Hollywood Walk of Fame where you can scan the star plaques on for favorite stars’ names or pose for pics with look-a-likes hanging out in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater dressed as your favorite super heroes , villains, and other film characters. If you feel like splurging you can even see a first run movie before all your friends back home can get a chance.

For history not linked to the film industry there’s the La Brea Tar Pits to see the relics millions of years old still trapped in the muck. Continuing on the dinosaurs and fossils topic at the George Page Museum kids can experience the What It’s Like to be Trapped in Tar exhibit, and when a certified tour leader is on hand they may even get a chance to hunt for fossils themselves.

Key Largo – Food – Wine – Festival, put these five words together and what could be more perfect? Well, to make the Key Largo Food Wine Festival 10 days long! Beginning July 30, 2010 and running through August 8th, Key Largo, the gateway to the Florida Keys, becomes a paradise for foodies and wine lovers. So, if you haven’t planned your summer vacation yet, make your reservations at any of the Florida four star hotels , and they will be glad to accommodate you during this popular festival.

Come on down and enjoy all of the tasty temptations as Key Largo’s culinary experts show you what this resort town has to offer by presenting almost 30 tasty food, wine and spirits events; multiple wine tastings, where you’ll get to try some of your favorite wines, and find some new treasures for 9 days. You’ll also be treated to cooking demonstrations, wine dinners, progressive wine dinners, food and wine pairing classes, cook book signings, wine and arts shows, wine and cigars, and as always: Key Largo’s famous sunsets, shopping, scuba diving, snorkeling and you’ll have a great time doing every single one of these activities.

The Key Largo Food Wind Festival was the vision of the local business people to increasing tourism, not that Key Largo lacked tourism, but to put Key Largo on the map for hosting one of the best Food and Wine Festivals in Florida, which they have succeeded. New this year is a popular favorite, a ‘Whodunit’ murder mystery night, that is guaranteed to entertain. Also, champagne brunches, all-American barbecues with summertime wines, authentic Greek dinner with European wines, sushi with a sous chef, and everyday wines with lobster prepared every way possible. Finishing off the event on Sunday, the last day, is a Festival complete with brunch, bubbly and dancing.

A majority of drinkers, who routinely abuse alcohol , think that it’s no big deal and that they are in control of their habit. Recognizing the first signs of alcoholism will help, first of all, with becoming aware and then help with keeping from falling into the addiction. Listed are only a few of the first signs, but significant enough all the same.

Blackouts are an obvious sign that there is an alcohol problem. Blackouts happen when a drinker completely forgets what happened the night before, or what happened during an event where drinking was involved. They could have even driven home in their car in a blackout, been at work or in some instances, woke up in another country, not remembering ever getting on a plane.

Becoming defensive about anyone questioning their drinking habits is a definite sign. A drinker will easily anger when asked why they drink so much, sometimes they will even become physically abusive and will have no regrets for their actions and ignore the consequences of their defensiveness to the point of losing friends and family. Irritability and anxiety are additional signs of alcohol abuse, these attributes show up especially when at an event, or for no reason at all. This is due to the effects alcohol has on the nervous system, manifesting a unnatural state of anxiety, irritability and nervousness that will appear at the slightest whim.

If a potential alcohol abuser no longer drinks moderately or responsibly, and frequently drinks, this is the ultimate first sign of alcoholism. They will do whatever it takes to have alcohol at their immediate disposal. This means hiding a bottle or a flask at work, in the car;or if drinking at home is not acceptable, then they will hide bottles around the house as well. Another early sign is ordering doubles at the bar, downing shots or beers in order to get buzzed as soon as possible and drinking by themselves is another good first sign.

Keep in mind, the above signs are just that, signs. So it’s not too late to seek out help from drug rehab centers or outpatient recovery programs.

Thanks to my friend Meredith Alford for the guest post.

RV Travel

There’s nothing quite like hitting the highway in the RVand traveling America’s highways. Even though our RV has many great amenities, such as some of the best hd cable deals and a large family area, it’s always nice to stop at off the beaten path type of places.

Theme Parks

Our family loves theme parks. We buy annual passes to save money and try to visit at least once every couple of weeks during the summer. With so many to choose from in such close proximity, it never gets old. The kids love water parks and we always make a day of it.

Geocaching

Geocaching is great fun for kids and adults. It’s like playing a giant game of hide and seek. Plus, you never know what you are going to find at the end of the treasure hunt. It is a great way to get outside and enjoy fresh air and nature with your family. The only thing that it costs is gas and you will need a handheld GPS unit.

The Beach

There’s nothing quite like feeling sand between your toes and the feeling of salt water on your skin. You can surf, sun bathe, or build sand castles. We have at least one weekend trip to the beach every summer!

Fans of tennis are as passionate about the sport and their favorite players as any other sports or entertainment field. They will travel to other cities and even countries to see one of the Majors tournaments and to get a chance to watch their star player in person. In addition, this obsession has also inspired more people to take up the sport on a hobby or amateur basis, which has contributed to health and serves as a great form of exercise. Once a person gets a dose of the tennis bug it tends to remain with them throughout their life.

There are four main tournaments that represent the top players in the sport and are extremely popular with audiences from around the world. The tournaments, known as the Grand Slam Tournaments, also called the Majors, are the Australian Open, US Open, Wimbledon and the French Open. The Wimbledon tennis tournament is held in the London suburb of Wimbledon. These tournaments are where the best of the best players meet and compete to be recognized as the best. And with the various temperaments seen in the past, they have also served as a chance to see as many of the star players as possible and hope for some personality display. However, behavioral protocol asks for a more professional on court behavior and this is generally the case with the players.

The Australian Open is the first major tournament of the year and takes place in January at Melbourne Park. Roger Federer won the men’s singles title and Serena Williams won the women’s. The French Open is currently underway and began on May 23. It will extend through the beginning of June. We can look forward to the Wimbledon schedule this year as the tournament takes place in late June and early July. The US Open takes place during the last part of August and early September in Queens, New York.