How to Design Framed Bathroom Mirrors

Did you know that you can create your own framed mirror? Instead of heading to the mall and purchasing an expensive mirror, you can use material from around your home or purchase affordable items to design your own mirror.

How do I create my own mirror?

Designing your own mirror is the beginning of creating a completely new bathroom. You can use material from around the home such as photo frames. Try to choose an embossed type. Embossed frames make great wall mirrors. You could also create tabletop mirrors using it as a vanity mirror. make-up mirrors make nice displays, especially when you surround them with your favorite items such as bottles of perfumes etc.

How do I add a back?

You can use hardboard to add a backing. When picking the board however, make sure that you match the board to the weight of the mirror. Rather, make sure that the backboard will hold the weight of the frame and mirror. Mirrors typically weigh about 750g depending on the size. In this example, you are making the quarter frame, so you will need to allow 0.32m2 per m2. So, if your mirror weighs more than 3 pounds, you will need a board to hold 1.6kg per square foot. The thickness of the board then should be around one eighth inches. The mirror will fit into the rebate. You can have the glass cut at any glass shop or mirror shop.

Once you have your materials together, you will want to fit the mirror onto the backing. The backing should slide into the groove cut or wood joints. (rebate) Once you have inserted the parts, you will need to hit your brads gently to avoid breaking your mirror when nailing it into the picture frame. If you propose to hang the mirror on your wall, you will require hangers, which you need to permit to pivot.

How do I select mounting materials?

You will need a mirror, frame, short screws, corner braces, craft paper (brown paper), double-back sticky tape, dust cover, hangers, a couple of mirror hangers, awl, jigsaw, knife and extra screws to mount your frame.

Now that you have a basic idea, you can start creating your mirror. In short, it takes ten steps to create your framed mirror. To finish your mirror, we suggest that you go to your local library and check out books to help you. However, I will briefly walk you through the ten steps.

The first step is to turn your frame on its back and secure the corner braces, fastening them transversely to connect the mitred corners. With your awl, create pilot holes in the back of your frame. Once you have created the holes, insert the screws. If you have bought hardboard or are using cardboard, cut the board so that it matches the size or your mirror. Face down, place the mirror inside your wood joints. Now you can place your hardboard/cardboard inside the wood joints and over your mirror. Brads should be inserted at this point, which should be at 2.5cm intervals from the corners.

Next, use your tape to cover the frame, layering the tape to about 3mm from the outer edges of your frame. Throw away with the paper cover. Now you are off to a grand start to completing your mirror. Take the brown paper and cut a 5cm strip extending a sizeable distance further than the edge of your mirror. Once you have your paper over the backboard, you want to secure it. Use your sticky tape. The last steps is to trim, mark, and measure to add your hangers.

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What To Look For When Purchasing Butcher Block

By Arthur Butler

You may have seen butcher block before. These thick durable cutting surfaces are superb because they are reasonably priced, long lasting and easy to find. It is simply how you want to incorporate them into your home that can be a problem.

Butcher block is a thick, hard cutting surface that can handle being hit repeatedly by a sharp knife or cleaver. It is usually made of pieces of wood such as sugar maple and is often over four inches deep. Butcher block got its name because these durable cutting surfaces were frequently used in butcher shops to cut meat on.

If you are trying to decide how you want to incorporate butcher block into your home, you have several different options and it is up to you which you select. You should think about how much cutting space you want to have and this can be a guide to your plans. There are a number of different options, including entire counter tops, kitchen islands with a butcher block top, or a piece that is used as a stand-alone block.



End grain butcher block is extremely durable and allows the force of knife blows to be absorbed between the wood fibers. This is excellent because by absorbing the force, the block will keep your knives shaper. End grain butcher block is considered by many chefs to be more desirable than edge grain because it keeps the board from being nicked and scratched. Sharper knives and a longer lasting cutting surface are things that matter very much if you work with food for a living.

Edge grain butcher's block is the kind that many people are used to. This is the style that many see when they picture butchers block. It is made of long slats of wood that often run the length of the block and the look is very similar to that of wood flooring.

When shopping there are more things to look at than just end grain or edge grain. You need to make sure that the pieces of wood making up the block have been securely fastened together and that the wood is in good shape. The last thing that you want is for the adhesive keeping the pieces of wood together to let go so that all you have is a bundle of wooden sticks. You also need to speak with an expert who can give you good information on how to treat and condition the wood and keep it looking beautiful.

Since you need to treat the block with oil to keep the wood supple and sand the block down when it becomes scratched and marred, you may want to make sure that you are incorporating butcher's block on a limited basis. It can be inconvenient if you are unable to use your counter tops because they are being resurfaced and oiled on a regular basis.

If you have decided to incorporate butcher's block into your home, you should think whether you want to use a separate cutting board. If you are resurfacing your cabinets, consider using butcher's block for all or a part of your counter top. This way you have the richness and beauty of wood with the versatility of having a counter long cutting surface to prep food on. Whatever your choice, you should know that you can enjoy the beauty and durability of a butcher's block for years to come.

About the Author:

Some things to consider before buying butcher block furniture or cutting boards, is whether it is end grain or not. Generally, end grain butchers block is better for using with heavy knives, although it is more expensive it is far longer lasting.

What is it About Coffee That Keeps You Awake?

By Russell Jackson

You're no doubt aware that coffee can keep you awake. And you probably understand that it's the caffeine content that causes this effect. What you probably don't know, though, is why it is that caffeine can keep you awake. So what is it specifically about caffeine that stops you going to sleep?

What happens is that caffeine serves to inhibit the effectiveness of the chemical that reacts in the brain to make us sleepy. This sounds a bit worrying, but is simply a natural chemical reaction, whereby adenosine - which occurs naturally in the body - can't perform its proper function.

Adenosine is a chemical that the body produces naturally as a result of daily activity. The human brain has adenosine receptors in it, that the adenosine produced binds itself to. This action slows down nerve cell activity within the brain, causing us to feel drowsy and eventually fall asleep.

This can appear odd, that a chemical produced by exercise and activity leads to us feeling tired, but makes sense over the course of a day. Also, a side effect of adenosine is to dilate blood vessels, allowing more oxygen into the brain while we are asleep. This increase in oxygen is something we obviously do expect from exercise.

Caffeine has a similar constituency to adenosine - at least it does from the point of view of your nerve cells. So caffeine will bind itself to your adenosine receptors in the same way that adenosine does. Caffeine, though, doesn't have the effect of slowing down the nerve cells. In fact, as the receptors can't detect any adenosine, the nerve cell activity now actually speeds up.

At the same time, caffeine leads to blood vessels contracting, rather than dilating, which restricts the flow of blood cells. This is why certain types of headache respond well to remedies that include caffeine, as more of the blood cells causing the pain are prevented from reaching the brain.

So with the adenosine being blocked by the caffeine, there is increased neuron activity in the brain. This triggers a "fight or flight" reaction, as the body thinks there must be some sort of emergency situation causing this increased neural activity, and releases hormones to create adrenalin.

Everyone realises that the last thing you need when you want to get to sleep is a boost of adrenaline. Which is essentially why coffee keeps you awake - with the adrenaline leading to tense muscles, a faster heartbeat, and even a feeling of excitement that is certainly not conducive to dropping asleep.

About the Author:

Russell Jackson is a coffee machines expert, having supplied many thousands over the past few years, and has a specialist knowledge of coffee and coffee vending machines.

The Basics Of Choosing A Bread Machine

By John McKain

If one of your major temptations is fresh bread, then you need a bread machine to indulge your cravings. Regardless of personal preferences or even budgetary constraints, you are guaranteed to find the perfect one for you.

When bread machines first came on the market in the 1980s, they became an immediate hit. Even with their $300+ price tags, people scooped them up off store shelves and headed home to bake up a storm. In the beginning, the mainstream houseware retailers hadn't caught on to the craze; bread machines were made by companies who produced that one particular product only.

It took about ten years for the big name kitchen retailers to produce their own bread machines, but when they finally brought these newer models to market, prices had dropped to under $100 and they were lighter, tinier, and quieter. Even with these price reductions, options and styles increased.

Bread machines originally produced only round loaves of bread simply because the ingredients needed to be mixed and it was impossible to put a square mixing pan in and expect decent results. Although a bit awkward for sandwiches and the like, the bread nevertheless rivaled what grandma used to turn out by hand.

Today bread machines are able to produce square and rectangular loaves although the original design is still more practical and the end result is more consistent. The square loaves tend to have uncooked or burned edges, or even sections that were not mixed correctly at the beginning of the cycle.

Bored with making just bread all the time? Newer models have custom settings for Danish, pizza dough, specialty doughs like Italian bread, and a whole range of other tasty options. The machine will still mix the dough, let is rise, and then let you know when it's ready for your next steps.

Many traditional bakers have forsaken the old fashioned time consuming mixing and kneading and rising and let their bread machines do all the work. It's amazing how totally automated these are, completely taking away all the guesswork when it comes to how long to knead, mix, bake, etc. All you need to do is add the ingredients, push the start button, and wait a few hours.

Make certain you know how easy it will be to clean, however. The less expensive models tend to make cleaning fairly difficult. Since the ingredients tend to get all over the place during the mixing, you want to be able to easily reach in and wipe it off. Try to find a machine that at least protects the heating coils.

Look for a machine that allows you to completely remove the top and put it in the dish washer. Also look for a machine that has built in splatter guards so that when accidents happen - and they will - you only need to clean the guards.

About the Author:

John McKain would like to tell you which is the best bread machine to bake the finest bread for your family. He writes many bread making machine reviews and guide posts in his blog.

Electric Ice Cream Makers - 8 Compelling Reasons To Make Your Own Ice Cream

By Mia Kane

I get asked a lot of questions about making my own ice cream. Besides the fact that I love it and enjoy it, I have found over the years that there are many more reasons that I stopped buying and started making ice cream. Here they are. I hope I can help turn you into an ice cream maker.

1. My family and I love ice cream. We eat a lot of it all year round not just in summer. On a regular basis I found buying ice cream adds up, and on a monthly grocery bill, well lets just say I got a real shock. When I make my own, I make it a lot cheaper (but just as tasty, even tastier) than store bought. So I save on my food bill.

2. It was when I had my family that I first started to think about the planet and being green, for them and their kids. So whilst I am no paragon of virtue on that front, I try little things. With my home made ice cream, I am not paying for ice cream to have needlessly travelled around the country to my table, and I am not paying for those fancy useless packaging tubs and cartons. So I guess it does help me feel a little better.

3. I get to know exactly what is going into my kids mouths. There are no additives or preservative in my home made dessert. Only natural goodness no artificial rubbish.

4. I know so many people, my kids friends especially with allergies of all sorts. I can leave them out of the ice cream, so everyone get to enjoy it.

5. I bring my ice cream over to friends, or families houses for dinner. It beats spending a fortune on flowers. I bring along the dessert which we can all enjoy together.

6. It's a fantastic way of getting the kids involved in what they are eating, (not to mention entertaining them for an afternoon). When they have their friends around and are starting to get bored, I get them out some ingredients and get them making. They love it.

7. I can get the kids to eat more fruit too, by serving it on top or beside the ice cream. Add some good nuts, and maybe some oats sometimes and they don't even know they are eating something really good for them. Result!

8. I always make my ice cream with lower fat cream or half and half. Honestly they don't notice the difference. It's so much less calorific than store bought.

There it is. My ice cream tastes great. Looks wonderful and costs less. I hope you start making yours too. It really is so much more rewarding than buying it.

About the Author:

If you are thinking of purchasing an ice cream machine, take some time to review them before making a purchase. You can read some interesting reviews from existing users here ElectricIceCreamMachines

Delicious Gourmet Meals, Simple and Easy!

By Ty Williams

If you are tired of searching for new and exciting ideas for meals and want to add a bit of excitement and flavor to your dinner table, you might be surprised how little money or experience is really required to make delicious gourmet meals. The only things you need should already be in your kitchen like knives, pots, pans, serving platters, and some common kitchen ingredients.

Gourmet cooking is becoming one of America?s favorite pastimes. As the country continues to head deeper and deeper into a recession, American?s are finding that eating out is becoming a luxury that they can no longer afford. So instead of going to a restaurant to have a special meal, they?re recreating it at home, in their own kitchens. It?s easy to learn the secret of gourmet cooking. All you have to do is switch to one of the dozens of cooking shows available on cable or broadcast TV and watch some of the world?s most renowned chefs sharing their secrets. You can also go to the library and check out cookbooks with illustrated, step-by-step recipes for creating delicious, nutritious and beautifully presented gourmet meals.

To create a gourmet meal, you need to start with the very best and freshest ingredients. This is where you want to use pure butter instead of margarine, cream instead of milk, fresh-squeezed lemon juice instead of bottled lemon, and fresh mushrooms instead of canned. An inexpensive bottle of white wine is also an important component of gourmet cooking.

Skinless chicken breasts or salmon can be good protein additions. Food staples like Rice, pasta and shredded cheese should be stored and available in all kitchens along with frozen vegetables like broccoli, green beans or spinach which might be helpful greatly in cooking thus known as the gourmet cook?s best friend. When you think of adding flavor and depth to the taste the best things that come to mind are Fresh herbs, onions, garlic and shallots.

It shouldn't take much work, and with a little practice you will soon be able to start making meals that will be wonderful experiences for your friends and loved ones. Gourmet meals don?t have to be overly complicated either, something all it takes is simple, fresh ingredients to create a memorable meal that rivals some of your favorite restaurants.

It is very important to be sure about maintaining the similarity of the size and shape of the chopped, sliced ingredients. This will serve in presenting a good and appetizing meal. The same size of the ingredients will help in even cooking and add elegance to the plate. This sort of presentation will show as if the dish is prepared with love and care. A good saute pan is an essential tool in this cooking. Before adding the butter to sear and saute? the pan should be preheated to help the preparation.

Presentation of the dish is as much important in gourmet cooking as preparing. A good presentation will make the food more delicious and appetizing. An attractive presentation will be appetizing since it will look great for the eyesight. Plain white platters are usually recommended. These kinds of platters will enable the food to be on the limelight. Garnishing is also important. This is usually done with parsley, cheese, or mushrooms. This will surely create an impression on your family and friends.

About the Author:

Gourmet cooking is always fun and exciting. If your celebrating your anniversary, or someones birthday, consider cooking them a nice, fine gourmet meal. Add a unique wine present, and you'll have a gourmand's dream.

Antioxidant Drinks - Switch to a Healthier Cup of Coffee

By Kathryn Barry

Antioxidant Drinks include one of the most popular drinks in the world - coffee. Most people like or have to start their day off with their favorite cup of coffee. Coffee is a stimulant that most people seem to need in order to get them off to a blazing start with their incredibly busy lives.

Most people will suffer in some way from the ill effects of caffeine that all coffee contains. Caffeine can leave you with a feeling of agitation or feeling nervous because of its harmful effects on your nervous system. Not to mention the digestive distress that every cup of coffee seems to create because of the acidity in coffee.

Coffee does have a good side and that would be that it contains antioxidants.

What's so Great about Antioxidants?

Antioxidants come in many forms and help to prevent damage to your cells. Antioxidants such as vitamins, flavonoids and enzymes help to prevent cell oxidation and protect your cells.

Free radicals harm our bodies and antioxidants have the ability to stop these damaging substances.

When we expose ourselves to toxic chemicals, radiation, pesticides, and drugs such as alcohol and caffeine, free radicals will be created in our bodies.

The donation of an electron by an antioxidant prevents the free radicals from damaging your cells by converting it into a harmless molecule. This donation stops oxidative damage that is responsible for aging your body.

Antioxidant Drinks and the King of Herbs

A new coffee called "Healthy Coffee" has emerged on the scene and this coffee comes with one of the most powerful herbs in the world - The Reishi Mushroom.

Traditional Chinese Medicine employed the use of the Reishi Mushroom to help keep its royalty healthy. This herb has a 2000 to 4000 year tract record and has helped with numerous ailments.

This herb has numerous names and in China was known as Ling Zhi or "Herb of Spiritual Potency" and because of its incredible healing powers it was also called "Mushroom of Immortality".

It is known for fixing such health disorders as heart problems, diabetes, and digestive distress. These are only a few of the ailments that can be helped with the hundreds of nutrients and wealth of antioxidants found in reishi.

This medicinal mushroom helps your body remove the build-up of toxins and allows your body's natural immune system to strengthen itself.

Healthy Coffee versus Your Everyday Coffee

Healthy Coffee contains triterpenoids to help with your digestive system as drinking regular coffee will actually stop your digestive system from working.

You will be able to keep a better pH balance with the alkaloids found in Healthy Coffee.

The side effects of too much caffeine wears down your adrenal system and the adaptogens found in healthy coffee are good at helping your system to bounce back.

My Two Years of Drinking this Coffee

I have been drinking Healthy Coffee for over two years now and every time I go back to drinking regular coffee I suffer and wish I didn't let myself run out of my Healthy coffee.

I live in a place with some of the most sought after coffee and still can't drink the stuff!

This coffee will give you a energy boost, but not stimulate your nervous system to death. It is such a different feeling that I was under the impression that it contained almost no caffeine.

Sometimes I have to work late into the night and crave some extra energy. I'm actually able to get away with drinking a cup of this coffee late in the evening and still getting a good night's sleep.

Healthy Coffee is one of the most powerful antioxidant drinks and really does help with the acidity problem. It doesn't seem to upset my digestion like drinking regular coffee surely will.

You won't have harsh coffee breath after drinking this coffee because it is one of the smoothest tasting of all coffees.

Have your coffee and drink it too. This coffee gives you the coffee experience without so much the coffee problems. It is worth giving it a try.

About the Author:

For the most trusted Healthy Coffee with high amounts of the "King of Herbs", go to Antioxidant Drinks. If you'd like an abundant source of information on Healthy Foods and Healthy Eating Guidelines, visit Destination Healthy Foods.

Atkins Diet Low Carb Diet Menu

By Joy Mitchell

With the advent of the New Age, the days are past when having a Marilyn Monroe shape figure was thought of as the ideal of what a woman should look like. Now we have waif-thin role models of what the perfect woman should look like, and this is the figure we want to have for ourselves as well. Therefore, most of us will turn to any and every diet possible, but it's a known fact that a growing number of dieters are concentrating more on what the Atkins low carb diet menu has to offer them that is more than the other diets.

Certainly, there can be any number of diets that are similar to the Atkins Diet and the low carb diet menu plans, but it must be said that the Atkins Diet was the first of these now popular high fat, high protein, low carb diet menu plans. And the Atkins Diet low carb diet menu will offer you the most appetizing array of low carb foodstuffs to select from.

However, with only a little judicious mixing and matching on your part, you can also invent different low carb diet menu plans that will match anything found on any of the other similar diets. By going on the Atkins Diet, low carb diet menu planning becomes that much simpler for you, and you will not need to worry that what you're preparing will comply with your dietary requirements.

The Atkins Diet low carb diet menu can assist solve your problem in this way and it can also help you make a list of foods and high carb diet menu plans that you must not eat. By doing this you can take your food lists shopping with you, where they can help you to make up your mind which foods should stay off your shopping list. This can be an invaluable aid to you in adhering to your low carb diet menu.

This doesn't mean, of course. that it will be easy to adhere to your low carb diet menu. Quite the opposite in fact, even though you can eat what can amount to almost anything you want from the high fat high protein part of your Atkins Diet low carb diet menu, if you love your carbs you'll feel the loss of them.

Moreover, if you have been eating high carb foods for most of your life, as most of us have, then you'll have an even harder time getting used to the ardours of the Atkins Diet low carb diet menu plans. One of the only things that'll help you keep on your low carb diet menu and away from your high carb cravings could be your Atkins Diet low carb diet menu plans and the food lists.

Keep your low carb diet menu plans close to you and your high carb foods away from you. These low carb diet menu plans and food lists might become your nearest friends in the next few weeks as you attempt the induction phase, but don't worry. With a little perseverance on your part, you'll emerge with flying colours and a slimmer body using your Atkins low carb diet menu.

About the Author:

Do you need to lose those excess kilos rapidly? Well, take a free look at Atkins low carb diet menu, by visiting our website called The Atkins Diet Plan Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service

The Real Truth About Functional Foods and Dietary Supplements

By Nikki Davila

Do you know what truly are functional foods? We eat foods to save ourselves from being hungry and acquire nutrition to maintain our body. What else can we expect from foods?

The Japanese are the first people who introduced the conception of "functional foods" in mid-80s. They use this term to refer to those foods which people eat for the health benefits they can provide. For instance, if you eat blueberries because its glucoquinine ingredients can improve your eye sight, they are considered "functional foods". Otherwise, if you only have blueberries because you are hungry or because you enjoy its taste, then it is just an ordinary food.

At this point, the word nutraceutical comes in, too. A nutraceutical is an ingredient taken from ordinary food and sold as a healthy product. The line between nutraceutical and dietary supplements can become a little blurry, though. For example, you might apply either term to blueberry or bilberry pills sold as vision support supplements.

Popular functional foods

The most popular functional foods have to be vegetables and fruits, and we are always encouraged to have enough of them to acquire sufficient vitamins and minerals. Whole grain is another example of popular functional foods, as it is a very good source for soluble fiber. Fish are rich in omega-3, which offers multiple health benefits; and wine is also considered functional for the obvious benefits it can do to our circulatory systems. Berries, unfortunately, are often overlooked as a functional food. This is because it just tastes too good that people tend to forget about the health benefits it can provide us.

Selecting the appropriate dietary supplements

Obviously, selecting dietary supplement is not the same as selecting your food, and the decision has nothing to do with its taste. Now, there are just too many supplement products in the market, and most come with very bold claims. While you need to correctly understand of particular health needs, don't forget the warnings from many physicians against possible overdosing, mixing of non-compatible supplement, or taking them along with other medications.

Basically, you do not have to get dietary supplements if you can stick to a perfectly balanced diet, which, unfortunately, very few of us are able to achieve. Health supplement becomes important when you are not eating the healthy way, or you have a special condition (eg. pregnancy or breast feeding, etc) that requires more nutrition, or you do not have a healthy digestion system. For vegetarians, you should definitely not skip looking for dietary supplements.

Keep in mind, though, that some dietary supplements can be almost as powerful as prescription medication. (After all, if they did nothing to your body, why would you even take them?) Before starting a new supplement, read up on its possible side effects and interactions and talk to your doctor about it, too. With all the junk food available today, it takes a little planning and forethought to eat well.

Combining functional foods with dietary supplements will grant you a huge advantage in meeting your body's nutritional needs. However, don't simply buy just anything from the supermarket without a bit planning and researching.

About the Author:

If you follow a diet plan that fills your day with eating the healthy foods (not all salads and fruit of course!) then you will never feel hungry enough to snack in the first place. Check out our review of a fast weight loss diet that exactly delivers that. Also check out this related article about model's dieting tips.