Double Duty Rooms: Creating a Home Office

With the recession in full swing, more women are looking for ways to earn extra income, particularly from home.  Depending on the type of work, a home office may be needed.  But what if the home has no more room to spare to create an office?
A home office doesn’t have to have a specific room designated for it, especially if space is maxed out already.  Think outside the box and decide which room provides an area conducive to multi-tasking.  Often the home office combines the functions of home, school, and work all in one space.
A home office does have a few requirements:  good lighting, storage, access to technology, and comfortable ergonomic seating.  There may be two or three good areas to utilize as the office – consider the living room, dining room, or even a wide closet.  The key is to create a work space that doesn’t add extra mess and additional work.
With the living room, a console table or small desk can be placed behind a sofa or against a wall.  The desk chair can easily be pulled in as additional seating if there are extra guests.  Utilizing a secretary or drop-down desk works well as they are easily closed up.  File cabinets can be slip-covered to double as pedestals.  A table with an attractive shirred skirt velcroed to it can hide cords or file boxes underneath.  Bookcases are perfect in nearly any room, and can showcase items as well as provide hidden storage.

A dining room comes with a desk in it already.  The key is being able to pick up the area quickly and store it efficiently, so that the shuffling of documents doesn’t end up with lost items.  This room can end up cluttered easily, so using a credenza with pull out drawers or doors that not only stores plates, but accommodates important files works well.  Look for a piece that allows things to be put away without having to create messy piles each time they get picked up.  Storage such as lidded file cabinets tuck into shelves nicely.
If there is a wide closet to spare, then look no further for a compact office.  Two file cabinets with a narrow top can be set inside to create a desk.  The back wall can have cork tiles applied for an instant bulletin board.  Once you are done working, simply close up the door.
Look around your home for other areas that seem conducive to working in.  You may be surprised by the options, and be able to keep the utilitarian aspect under control.

Strappys Decorative Bra Straps Seen on The Red Carpet

Actress, singer, model, hottie, Liana Mendoza was seen on the Red Carpet for her movie premiere “Drag Me To Hell” (in theatres, August 29).   She looked beautiful and confident in Trendy Circles bra straps from Strappys Decorative Bra Straps.

See, she knows better than to match her bra straps to her shoes.  Make an accessories statement.  Classy gal, I like that.

So where else can you see Liana on the big screen?  The Mail Man due out this fall.  She is also working on her debut album.

Top 10 ways to increase calcium absorption

I received this information in the form of an ad for a calcium supplement.  Although I had seen many of the points before I thought some of them were worth making note of.

1.   Make sure your calcium supplement contains vitamin C as it is essential for proper calcium absorption.
2.   Take your calcium in liquid form for the fastest absorption. It is more effective than tablets, and also shouldn’t contain antacids like tablets do, which interfere with calcium absorption.
3.  Be sure to take the doctor recommended 2:1 ratio of calcium to magnesium in your supplement — two parts calcium to one part magnesium.
4.   Eat foods that are high in the amino acid lysine, which is needed for calcium absorption. These include eggs, fish, lima beans and soy products.
5.  Get outside in the sun without sunscreen for 15 minutes, three times a week. Sunshine is the easiest and best way to get vitamin D, which is essential for proper absorption of calcium.
6. Spread out your doses of calcium over the day, as it appears to work more effectively if taken in smaller doses, rather than a large dose all at once.
7.  Avoid taking calcium with iron or zinc as it reduces the efficacy of both minerals and can interfere with calcium absorption.
8. Decrease or eliminate soft drinks from your diet. They are high in phosphorus, which can lead to calcium excretion in your urine.
9. Cut down on junk foods, alcohol, caffeine and white flour. All of these may lead to an excessive loss of calcium from your body and a decreased rate of absorption.
10. Eat foods containing oxalic acid in moderation. Oxalic acid interferes with calcium absorption. Foods containing oxalic acid include almonds, beet greens, cashews, chard, kale, rhubarb and spinach.

What Everybody Ought to Know About Sending Their Child To Preschool, Charter School, etc.

I’m going to get right to the point here – fill out that application when they are about 3 months old.  I’m not kidding.  If you want to enroll your child in preschool at age 3 you need to take into consideration that there is often a 2 year plus waiting list to get into many schools.  After moving I decided to “look into” the charter schools in our area.  Oh, I found a good one and went to interview the school.  My son is on the list but “there are more children on our list for elementary school, than there are students in the school.”  He might get admitted in 7th grade!

But seriously, when you’re in nesting instinct mode and you start looking at schools, put your name on the list.

I was reminded of all this when talking with friends in West LA.  They were looking at preschools for their son who is 18 months old and they’re worried about the 2 year waiting list.  All I could say was “Oh yea, that’s something I should have pointed out to you at his birth.”So I’m pointing it out now to anyone who is listening.  Just get on the list.  And if you’re having twins get on the list even sooner.