What a question!  Of course you do.  The bathroom is one of the most important rooms in the house, at least while you are having the much longed for bath at the end (or beginning) of the day.

It is true that so many of us work long hours every day and can hardly wait to jump into bed and have a rest - so a shower is much more popular than a bath on many workdays.  Similarly, in the morning, who can take the liberty of lingering in the bath tub for hours when breakfast is not ready and the kids need a ride to school?

However, once in a while, it is fun to look forward to enjoying a long bubble bath ‘treatment’ and I believe a nice-looking bathroom will enhance the pleasure at least tenfold.  Here are some tips for you to consider if you want to turn your bathroom into a heaven of relaxation:

-    Choose a color that you love and one that also matches and fits with your bathroom’s overall scheme.  Aim for serene and make sure to include a lot of lights in the project for those moments when you don’t really feel like burning candles.

-    Good bathroom mirrors are a must!  Don’t spare on this essential item!

-    An audio system included in the project will ensure your favorite music background while you are ‘busy’ spending time on your relaxation.

-    Fill up your bathroom vanity with every single kind of shampoo and bubble bath that you might ever need.  Don’t forget to buy some essential oils and a couple of favorite body lotions too.

-    Make sure that all the towels and bath robes you have purchased and the fluffy rug next to the bath tub match perfectly.  You don’t need any distraction while enjoying the luxurious spa-like atmosphere of your bathroom.

-    Get a selection of scented candles as well.  Sometimes, when our eyes are tired, the light from a candle just naturally soothing when compared to even the best lighting.

Is here anything else you need?  Oh, yes, have a break from housework and enjoy the lovely experience of spending time in your perfect bathroom!

So you were lucky enough to get all those fun (and very much needed, of course) new tools for Christmas, but there’s just that one thing:  Now you just need to find an excuse to use them!  Well, fear not - here are seven suggestions for projects you can dig into and break in your new tools.  All can be completed in just a quick hour or less.

1. Install a stylish new chandelier where the builder’s bargain stock surface mount light fixture is still going unnoticed in your home.  Chandeliers are a great option in more places than you might initially imagine.  Be creative.
2. Go green by swapping out as many of the energy wasting incandescent light bulbs in your home with ultra efficient compact florescent units.  It’s easiest to do it all at once and you’ll see an immediate benefit to your electric bill.
3. Still have that gaudy 1970’s look in one of your home’s bathrooms that’s just begging for a quick modernization?  If so, you might be surprised at how much some new hardware can help.  Mounting new matching towel bars and toilet paper holders is a breeze too.
4. Hang a new picture (or several)!  One of the most popular home décor ideas today is turning your favorite digital photo snapshots into black and white using easy computer software and then framing them in simplistic black wood frames of varying sizes.  Use your new tools to mount these pictures in a random cluster for a fantastic new look.
5. Swap that corroded and clogged old bathroom shower head with a convenient and comfortable new personal shower kit.  They allow for more in shower storage and help relieve some of that accumulated holiday stress at the same time.
6. Replace your kitchen cabinet hardware.  This is one of those “get the most bang for your buck and your time” projects.  You be surprised what a few bucks and a few minutes of replacing tired and dated cabinet knobs and pulls can do!
7. Leave the light on with style with a new outdoor porch light.  Go ahead and peek outside at the porch light you have now.  It’s time, isn’t it?

Hello and Seasons Greetings to all of you!  Hope you’ve all gotten through the Christmas holiday with a renewed sense of peacefulness and optimism.

I’ve just returned home from an incredibly enjoyable and relaxing family Christmas gathering at my sister’s home nearly 400 miles away.  Getting the whole family together seems to be more and more difficult every year as all the kids are growing up really quickly - I’m sure you can all relate in these hectic times we live in.

Part of what made the holiday so special was being able to spend it at a slower pace at my sister and brother-in-law’s turn of the century Victorian home.  There’s just something magical about playing games around the cracking and toasty warm wood burning fireplace with the family - it’s such a fantastic way to rekindle those all too stressed sprits!

Of course, my sister and her husband are the most gracious hosts possible to their guests.  All meals were totally savory and delicious.  With fourteen people all staying in one home for five days, quarters were a little tight from time to time, but then again, that’s what spending time with family is supposed all about, isn’t it?

As comfortable as things were, there was just one little thing that I vow to learn from.  As silly as it might sound, it was nearly impossible to get a good hot shower!  I’m sure the home’s hot water heater was probably totally over taxed with all fourteen people vying for those precious few gallons of heated water and there’s not much that can be done about it.

But it does have me thinking anyway.  While my home isn’t quite as large, there will be certain occasions that I’ll expect to have a house full of weekend guests in the near future.  I’m about due for a new water heater in my home regardless and I’m thinking if the best solution might be to go with one of the newer style tankless water heaters.

I don’t know all that much about them at the moment, but after this weekend, I really think I ought to look into them a little bit more to see if they just might be the solution.  I mean, I know they’re supposed to be more efficient, but can they really keep up with high demand?  How long does it take to recover the initial installation expense with money saved from reduced energy costs?

Again, right now, I have more questions than answers, but I’ll report back here just as soon as I can.  Until then, enjoy the rest of the Holiday season and stay warm!

Can you believe it’s already the weekend before Christmas - My oh my, where does time go?  Practically just the other day, I wrote a (hopefully) helpful little piece on how to survive the controlled chaos that we like to call Thanksgiving.  We’ll I thought a little last minute refresher for surviving Christmas might be helpful too.  So here goes:

You Mean You Don’t Have Gifts for Everybody Yet?

Panic!  Yikes!  Time is up!  Alright, slow down:  Yes, it’s pretty much too late for online shopping, but there are still plenty of great last minute Christmas gift ideas that you can pull off in no time at all.  Most of the local stores will be picked over by now, but you might still be able to find that special something.  Here’s my tip - since the clock is ticking, set a time limit for shopping (like 2 hours) and if you haven’t found the right thing by then, move on to Plan B.

Consider giving the gift of your time.  Volunteer to help your giftee with that big project they’re getting ready to undertake.  Maybe include a gift card that can be used for project supplies and make it a theme.  If you’re looking for some more similar ideas and you’re on a tight budget, try this - Top 25 Life-Improving Christmas Gifts for Under $10.

Want to Make Christmas Dinner Extra Special?

No Problem!  I know we’ve all had our holiday decorations up for weeks now, both outside and inside.  But sometimes, the dining room can be a little barren without just the right centerpiece.  You’re in luck with these Simple Christmas Centerpieces.  There are some really creative ideas here and they all look like they can be crafted in just minutes.

Know How to Keep All the Kids Active and Busy?

When the adults just need a little time for grown up conversation, it’s important to plan just the right activities for the kids.  It’s called the Nintendo Wii.  Ummm: well maybe that’s not the best option with lots of children (sharing and patience tends to disappear quickly after all).   So, why not plan some crafty activities that the kids can entertain themselves with?  Here are a few fun Kids Christmas Craft Ideas guaranteed to keep ‘em busy.

With a little pre-planning, your holiday entertaining will go better than you could have ever expected.  Of course, the biggest key is just to relax, have fun, and enjoy spending the season with your family and friends.  And so what if the Christmas turkey doesn’t turn out just perfect!

As much as anyone would, I appreciate the finer things in life.  That is, I appreciate being able to admire them at least, since I can’t always exactly afford some of them myself.

But some things just exude eye (and mind) pleasing likeability.  Especially true when one of those things just happens to come in the form of a seventy-one gallon capacity polished brass basin for bathing (or again, in my case, for admiring).

Yes, the Kallista Archeo Copper Bathtub is indeed breathtakingly beautiful.  It’s one of those luxurious focal points that you don’t just place in your home, but you actually build your home around in a sense.

So, I think we can probably all agree on the Kallista Copper tub’s appeal.   That’s obvious.  Now are you ready for what might surprise you?

Well, there are actually two things:

• One - This massive solid copper basin tub only weighs 154 lbs.
• Two - Add some zeros to the weight and multiply a few times and the sticker shock hits home: This tub costs more than a high end luxury automobile.

With that, I’ll just be admiring for now from a safe distance.  But on a brighter note, Kallista has certainly attracted my attention enough to encourage me to seriously consider some of their - shall we say - more affordable housewares.

And I suppose that’s exactly what a showpiece should do after all: Attract attention.  It’s without a doubt Find-of-the-Week-Worthy!

I’ve been flipping my way through lots of interior decorating magazines lately and there’s something that keeps nagging at me perpetually.

Here’s the thing - as much time as my wife and I spend working on our home, whether it’s finishing off our kitchen, adding curb appeal to the exterior, or retiling bathroom floors - we have yet to tackle the master bedroom.  But that’s all about to change for us and it might be on your mind soon too.

I mean, how much time does the average person spend in the bedroom?  It’s got to be somewhere in the seven to eight hour range each night - workaholics included - and even more on the weekends, when we definitely have more time to linger and take delight in ignoring the alarm clock, having a good breakfast in bed, or simply lying there relishing the luxury of not having to rush to work.

That’s all the reason we should need to try our best and make the bedroom look and feel much more inviting by giving it a whole new appearance.  Little changes sometimes work for a while, but they soon lose their charm.  Absolutely necessary in the summertime (and it’s not crazy to think about it now) is the cool quiet breeze that can only be provided by a quality ceiling fan.

Of course, from time to time, a daring and compete change is the only option.  Throw away the old bed and get the latest in comfort!  If there’s one really essentially important item in the bedroom, can’t we all agree that it’s the bed?  Life’s just to short to toss and turn on some sagging old mattress - the luxury of a good night’s sleep for once is worth the price of the new bed completely.

It’s about time to address carpet and curtains to go too.  Try a whole new color scheme and make the bedroom glow.  And don’t forget that repainting your bedroom’s walls is an easy project that should only take a couple of hours.  You will be surprised at the impact on your mood - you’ll be entirely likely to start feeling like a brand new you!

Step back and take a look at your furniture situation - Do you like the pieces you have?  Now’s your chance for change.  My wife and I are planning on keeping the antique walnut bedroom set that we were so lucky to score for a song at an estate auction some time ago, but we’re definitely going to need a couple of new bedside lamps.

So no more excuses here: no longer will our bedroom be the forgotten room.  It’s the little touches that encourage serenity after all.

Who Says Gray Has to Be Dull?

You might be seeing plenty of gray outdoors right now with snow and ice storms seeming to overtake all the other weather. We often think of gray as being dull and dreary, but the truth is that using the color can actually create a feel of warmth. Check out some of these gray-themed kitchens to see what I’m talking about:

Talk About Being One With Nature:

Check out this paradise retreat. I’m inspired by the tree house feel that it exudes and also through the way the whole structure seamlessly blends right into its natural environment. In many ways, this proves that simpler is indeed better.

From Barn to Family Home

I’ve always wanted to live in a barn! There’s just something about the idea, from massive open spaces to exposed beam and post timber construction that is really cool. I’ve been following the progress of this new home being built by incorporating a salvaged barn. Looks like it’s just about there (and totally awesome): Doing something similar might be my next big project!

Can These Light Fixtures Possibly Be Safe?

Alright, these do it yourselfer homemade lighting fixtures are a little fun and funky - I’ll agree with that. But something tells me they might not exactly be up to code, if you know what I mean. In all reality, they’re downright dangerous. Better to stick with lighting fixtures that are guaranteed by industry standards to be safe.

Dear Santa, All I Want For Christmas Is:

This post is a year old, but the theme is perfect. When your home is undergoing extensive construction or renovation, it’s the little peaceful and quiet kind of things that all of the sudden become so desirable. This list really hits home - take a look:

Gingerbread Architecture Goes Modern

I really love this little mid century modern gingerbread house! Why not, after all? It’s probably too late to order this and receive it in time for Christmas now, but it’s not too late to make a gingerbread house like this of your very own.

Are you ready for the challenge?

This is not only the perfect chance to test your knowledge of home improvement but also to share some tricky questions of your own. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and take the quiz:

And don’t forget to add your own trivia to the quiz - all in the spirit of good fun of course: Enjoy!

It’s Long Overdue.  Now shower heads aren’t exactly something we tend to notice everyday.  Unless they are majorly malfunctioning, chances are we just take them completely for granted.  But the next time you take a shower, look at your shower head.  Is it all gunked up with deposits to the point where the water is only coming out half of the spray holes?  It’s easier and more effective to replace a shower head than it is to clean or repair it.

Treat Yourself!  You deserve the best: Go ahead and take my word for it.  Seriously, a luxury shower head with several massaging spray patterns is a really easy and inexpensive lifestyle upgrade.  Remember, it’s the little luxuries in life that count.

Be Green.  Are you doing your part conserving water?  If your shower head is older than you are, chances are good that gallons of water are being wasted with every shower.  With some of the modern low flow designs, less water actually feels and works better.

Boost Productivity.  It’s a proven fact that we do some of our very best thinking while in the shower.  Since that’s so, why not make the shower an even better place to be productive?  Most of us would never dream of skimping on productivity tools such as computer monitors and a comfortable work chair.  As crazy as it sounds, try treating the shower the same way.

Get Cleaner Faster.  If your dated old shower head has been reduced in effectiveness to only a stingy trickle, allow me to politely remind you that it’s taking too much time to wash all that shampoo away.  Put some water back where it needs to be and get cleaner faster.

It Will Look Better.  How about a much needed aesthetic upgrade?  Cheap shower heads just weren’t crafted and finished to be able to stand up to years of being subjected to a wet and steamy environment.  If the finish is ugly and corroded, a new quality fixture will not only instantly look better, but will hold up better in the long run too.  Can I recommend a beautiful Danze shower head?

A Christmas Surprise.  This is just a random little idea, but maybe worth a try.  Instead of the Christmas stocking stuffers this year, surprise your family by secretly installing an awesome new shower head for Christmas and bask in the surprise as the gift is accidentally discovered the next day.  Better act soon though, the big holiday is approaching rapidly!

Still looking for the ultimate gourmet gift or just that special touch for your kitchen? If so, look no further. The AeroGrow AeroGardenâ„¢ Pro 100 Stainless System is something that every chef or gourmet food lover will love, but probably doesn’t already have.

But just what is it you ask? Well, it’s more than a windowsill herb garden. Actually the AeroGrow system is like having your very own farmer’s market right at home in your kitchen. It works perfectly for herbs, but also produces superb results when growing tomatoes, peppers, and even flowers.

Its aeroponic technology skips over all of the dirt and grime of the gardening process and is fully automated at the same time. Just add the seeds and the watering and lighting is completely automated for excellent results with minimal attention.

What’s more is the fact that the AeroGardenâ„¢ looks awesome in your kitchen too. It’s finished in stainless steel and as the herbs begin to grow, the little garden it harvests will also add to the ambiance of a kitchen. Plus, it’ll also be quite the conversation piece - that’s a guarantee!

So whether this will be a gift for a loved one, a great friend, or just for yourself, one thing is for sure: The AeroGrow AeroGarden™ Pro 100 Stainless System is absolutely, positively worthy of our “Find of the Week” award.