Spending more than $130 for a haircut and color makes me cringe. That doesn’t make me sound like an extreme bargain shopper- I know. But I do appreciate a discount.
With all the salon and spa deals available on the Web and with coupons in the mail, I’m like a kid in a candy store!
I’m a big fan of Craigslist for finding specials. Just search under the services tab and click on “beauty.”
I also scope out Elk Grove Online for discounts and, of course, the Gold Rush coupon magazine- which has great specials.
Some of the best beauty deals I’ve found are:
Craigslist- Luxe Salon & Spa. I went there for an hour long facial. It was very relaxing and my skin glowed afterwards. It was only $40! The only stressful part was the receptionist’s hard sell for more services at the end when I was paying. Overall, a very relaxing and affordable 1-hour service.
Craigslist- Airbrush tanning for $20. I kinda need this since I stopped tanning and now wear sunscreen rain or shine every day.
Elk Grove Online- Katy at House of Hues in EG is offering $20 off a cut or color service at the Salon for EG Online members.
More coupons for Elk Grove. (Not all of these are strictly beauty).
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Is Twitter a good idea?
Talking smack about Twitter garnered some attention from people across the country and in EG as well.
People seem to be either very pro-Twitter and social networking or anti self-promotion.
I find myself in the middle. The shameless self-promotion is obnoxious. But if it helps boost the career- it’s hard to be against that!
Let’s stir the pot a little more and get some dialogue flowing. What do you think about Social Networking sites?
People seem to be either very pro-Twitter and social networking or anti self-promotion.
I find myself in the middle. The shameless self-promotion is obnoxious. But if it helps boost the career- it’s hard to be against that!
Let’s stir the pot a little more and get some dialogue flowing. What do you think about Social Networking sites?
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
More Pics of Capital Nursery.
Photos by Laura Bemis
Laura Bemis and I were given a tour courtesy of Seth Taylor. Last weekend I started my own herb garden using the tips I learned from Seth.
I planted lavender, green onions, chives, Genovese basil and parsley.
Photos by Laura Bemis
Laura Bemis and I were given a tour courtesy of Seth Taylor. Last weekend I started my own herb garden using the tips I learned from Seth.
I planted lavender, green onions, chives, Genovese basil and parsley.
Basically, Sacramento area residents can almost anything!
Some tips:
Plants grown in the Mediterranean will flourush here- Pomegranates, olive trees, etc.
He also suggested taking a walk around the American River to get an idea of plants that grow with relatively no work.
MORE MAKEOVER PHOTOSPhotos by Keri Wood
We expreimented with this photo we found in our own kitchen by leaning it up against the wall behind the couch.
Lots of orange!!!
Pillows, tray, rug and placemats from Cost Plus World Market.
Framed pictures can by hung in front of the placemats to make the frames look larger and add some color.
Making over the EG Citizen kitchen was fun. I wish I could’ve left it like that, but I had to return some items and, of course, I kept some for myself.
I loved the bright colors in the pillows on the couch, but the great deal I got on the two orange pillows on the table chairs ($8 each) helped me excuse myself from returning them.
I bought most of the items at Cost Plus in EG. There were LOTS of good deals there. Home Goods I next door- they have a lot of great art, bath stuff and random décor furniture.
I also kept the wooden tray. I think it was about $5 to $7.
I really do re-decorate for spring. As far as the cleaning- Ugh- I’m not a fan. But it’s necessary. I mean, why decorate a dingy place, right?
Plus, I learned a lot of great tips when I interviewed local people for the spring-cleaning article.
This H&G issue has revved-up my passion for gardening, spring-cleaning, decorating and all things home and garden.
I’ve had several projects in the works months ago that I plan on starting-up again.
I want to make a custom frame for a cheap-y full-length mirror I bought at Wal-Mart about five years ago. I also want to paint a triptych- not sure of what yet. I received an amazing cookbook for Christmas called “Hello, Cupcake!” I plan to make some of the cupcake creations from that book. I will post all of these pictures!! Stayed tuned for other decorating tips.
I loved the bright colors in the pillows on the couch, but the great deal I got on the two orange pillows on the table chairs ($8 each) helped me excuse myself from returning them.
I bought most of the items at Cost Plus in EG. There were LOTS of good deals there. Home Goods I next door- they have a lot of great art, bath stuff and random décor furniture.
I also kept the wooden tray. I think it was about $5 to $7.
I really do re-decorate for spring. As far as the cleaning- Ugh- I’m not a fan. But it’s necessary. I mean, why decorate a dingy place, right?
Plus, I learned a lot of great tips when I interviewed local people for the spring-cleaning article.
This H&G issue has revved-up my passion for gardening, spring-cleaning, decorating and all things home and garden.
I’ve had several projects in the works months ago that I plan on starting-up again.
I want to make a custom frame for a cheap-y full-length mirror I bought at Wal-Mart about five years ago. I also want to paint a triptych- not sure of what yet. I received an amazing cookbook for Christmas called “Hello, Cupcake!” I plan to make some of the cupcake creations from that book. I will post all of these pictures!! Stayed tuned for other decorating tips.
This post is a follow up on a story published Wednesday, March 25 in our Home & Garden section about cleaning called “Do not disturb- maid service not needed.”
Cleaning is by no means a favorite activity of mine. However, it’s nice to come home to a clean, dust-free pad.
I spoke with local business owners around Elk Grove about items I thought would take specialized cleaning. I learned some surprising info. Like, mopboards should not get too damp because they’re made of compressed cardboard, and bricks inside a home need to be cleaned by a pro.
Here are some other tid-bits not included in the article.
Frames
If you read the article you know that frame- not prints, painting or picture- but the frames themselves are precarious to clean because they usually surround art that you wouldn’t want to ruin.
Even with glass covering the picture, it can get a little tricky.
I personally would not take a glass-covered print to a professional cleaner. But I have some family heirloom paintings, done by my grandmother that I would have cleaned by a professional.
First, you should know that a professional cleaning starts at $50 and goes up from their, depending on the difficulty of the frame. (I’m guessing if it’s very detailed and intricate.)
Choice Framing in Elk Grove, the source I used in the article, offers a pick-up service for larger pieces that may be difficult to transport.
If you want to transport a painting yourself, make sure it has a backing to prevent puncturing and always lay the painting flat.
If you read the article, Sam Falk gave me a great suggestion for a gentle homemade cleaning solution for glass-framed prints. www.egcitizen.com
Artificial plants
This is one item I always find very tricky to clean. Especially topiaries- they collect dust so quickly.
Frank Civitano offered a lot of tips for cleaning faux plants.
Civitano does issue one warning when cleaning artificial plants.
“Be careful using detergents,” he said. “They will leave streaks and can ruin the foliage.” Use a simple solution of Dawn detergent diluted with 10 parts water for a fresh smell and quick rinse, he said.
“Save your money and avoid the silk cleaners.”
I wonder how you clean fake moss? Any ideas?
Bricks inside
I called a masonry place in EG, they said the only way to clean the brick was with a spray they sold. They also said they didn’t do the cleaning. I was surprised that a masonry place didn’t know anything and everything about bricks.
Anyways, I called Joe Ovel, owner of Joe Ovel Masonry in Elk Grove. He said to clean bricks outside they would use an acid bath, and then rinse it off with water, but that wouldn’t work inside a home.
Bricks walls, fireplaces and other decorative brick items outside can be easily hosed off after an acid bath, cleaning bricks on the inside of a house is a bit different.
The acid creates fumes and most people would not want their carpet ruined with the water rinse from a high-pressure hose, he said.
If they just leave the acid without rinsing, the bricks turn green.
Bricks with discoloration from smoke can be refaced with a culture stone or thin brick.
For basic maintenance, dust the tops of bricks like you would any other item that needs regular dusting, he said.
I asked him if someone could use a toothbrush to clean bricks and he vetoed that idea.
Drapes/ Curtains
From my own personal experience, I completely agree that drapes should get a professional cleaning. Even cotton ones lose their shape and get a bit tattered at the ends when they’re washed too often. Between dry-cleanings, I shake the drapes out to get the dust off. I also think opening the windows helps freshen them.
Other cleaning tips:
I have a tiled bathroom floor, with pain-in-the-neck grout. To really get it clean, I abandon my Swifter, put on a ratty T-shirt and sweats, and get to work with rags and a toothbrush. Nothing works better than good ol’ elbow grease.
Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. These work great! Clean dingy walls, kitchen backsplashes, doors, etc. I don’t think I’ve ever used them on a dark wall though- only white walls. Read the directions!
Don’t forget to clean these!
Hairbrushes- I soak mine in warm water and baby shampoo. My mom used bleach and water. I think the former helps them last longer.
Make-up brush- I’ve heard you’re supposed to wash these once a week to prevent bacteria from building-up. I use baby shampoo or just tepid water.
Duvet covers and bed skirts- These collect dust. If you have the sniffles at night- wash these and see if it makes a difference.
Cleaning is by no means a favorite activity of mine. However, it’s nice to come home to a clean, dust-free pad.
I spoke with local business owners around Elk Grove about items I thought would take specialized cleaning. I learned some surprising info. Like, mopboards should not get too damp because they’re made of compressed cardboard, and bricks inside a home need to be cleaned by a pro.
Here are some other tid-bits not included in the article.
Frames
If you read the article you know that frame- not prints, painting or picture- but the frames themselves are precarious to clean because they usually surround art that you wouldn’t want to ruin.
Even with glass covering the picture, it can get a little tricky.
I personally would not take a glass-covered print to a professional cleaner. But I have some family heirloom paintings, done by my grandmother that I would have cleaned by a professional.
First, you should know that a professional cleaning starts at $50 and goes up from their, depending on the difficulty of the frame. (I’m guessing if it’s very detailed and intricate.)
Choice Framing in Elk Grove, the source I used in the article, offers a pick-up service for larger pieces that may be difficult to transport.
If you want to transport a painting yourself, make sure it has a backing to prevent puncturing and always lay the painting flat.
If you read the article, Sam Falk gave me a great suggestion for a gentle homemade cleaning solution for glass-framed prints. www.egcitizen.com
Artificial plants
This is one item I always find very tricky to clean. Especially topiaries- they collect dust so quickly.
Frank Civitano offered a lot of tips for cleaning faux plants.
Civitano does issue one warning when cleaning artificial plants.
“Be careful using detergents,” he said. “They will leave streaks and can ruin the foliage.” Use a simple solution of Dawn detergent diluted with 10 parts water for a fresh smell and quick rinse, he said.
“Save your money and avoid the silk cleaners.”
I wonder how you clean fake moss? Any ideas?
Bricks inside
I called a masonry place in EG, they said the only way to clean the brick was with a spray they sold. They also said they didn’t do the cleaning. I was surprised that a masonry place didn’t know anything and everything about bricks.
Anyways, I called Joe Ovel, owner of Joe Ovel Masonry in Elk Grove. He said to clean bricks outside they would use an acid bath, and then rinse it off with water, but that wouldn’t work inside a home.
Bricks walls, fireplaces and other decorative brick items outside can be easily hosed off after an acid bath, cleaning bricks on the inside of a house is a bit different.
The acid creates fumes and most people would not want their carpet ruined with the water rinse from a high-pressure hose, he said.
If they just leave the acid without rinsing, the bricks turn green.
Bricks with discoloration from smoke can be refaced with a culture stone or thin brick.
For basic maintenance, dust the tops of bricks like you would any other item that needs regular dusting, he said.
I asked him if someone could use a toothbrush to clean bricks and he vetoed that idea.
Drapes/ Curtains
From my own personal experience, I completely agree that drapes should get a professional cleaning. Even cotton ones lose their shape and get a bit tattered at the ends when they’re washed too often. Between dry-cleanings, I shake the drapes out to get the dust off. I also think opening the windows helps freshen them.
Other cleaning tips:
I have a tiled bathroom floor, with pain-in-the-neck grout. To really get it clean, I abandon my Swifter, put on a ratty T-shirt and sweats, and get to work with rags and a toothbrush. Nothing works better than good ol’ elbow grease.
Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. These work great! Clean dingy walls, kitchen backsplashes, doors, etc. I don’t think I’ve ever used them on a dark wall though- only white walls. Read the directions!
Don’t forget to clean these!
Hairbrushes- I soak mine in warm water and baby shampoo. My mom used bleach and water. I think the former helps them last longer.
Make-up brush- I’ve heard you’re supposed to wash these once a week to prevent bacteria from building-up. I use baby shampoo or just tepid water.
Duvet covers and bed skirts- These collect dust. If you have the sniffles at night- wash these and see if it makes a difference.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)