Category Archives: Hot Topics

4 Tips To Keep Healthy Pets

holiday pet safety

Your pets are part of the family. Keep them safe and healthy this holiday season by keeping a few tips in mind.

There’s so much going on this month as we prepare to celebrate Christmas and ring in the New Year. Your pets are noticing the changes in the house and in their daily routine. An odd tree is going up in the living room, new smells are coming from the kitchen, and you’re coming home later in the evenings after work, after running just one more errand.

With so much going on right now, it’s important to remind ourselves about the potential dangers for our pets that come into the house with that tree.

1.Chocolate, onions and raisins. We all know these foods are dangerous (even deadly) to our pets, and it seems like there are more of them around the holiday table. Remember to keep such foods out of their reach, and don’t let your guests give in to those puppy-dog eyes begging at the table. Check out this full list of foods that can be dangerous to pets.

2.Ornaments and ornament hooks. Have you ever dropped one of those decoration hooks in the carpet? They’re almost impossible to find and fish out, yet one of my cats can make quick work of running off with one. Instead of those metal hooks, this year I’m using festive red ribbon on all of my tree ornaments.

3.Festive plants. We’ve all heard that poinsettias are poisonous to pets, but a quick search on the Internet will have you questioning that common wisdom. Some say yes; some say no. I say: Take caution with any new plants in the house. At the very least, ingesting a new, strange plant can cause an upset tummy in pets. How much extra time do you have to scrub the carpets right now?!

4.The front door. Packages are being delivered, visitors are coming and going. Make sure your pets stay put and stay safe.
I wish you and your pets a happy and healthy holiday season and a merry Christmas! I hope they get everything they’re wishing for. Oh, and you, too!

News From Magazine Reviews

How To Make Mood Lighting For The Holidays?

designer lifestyle

Let’s get electric this week! Lighting is one of my five must-haves because it can transform your life into a seductive life-lighting affects us on a primal level. They don’t call it mood lighting for nothing! You can change the feel of a room with a flip of a switch or the strike of a match.

One of the quickest and best investments you can make for altering your private atmosphere is a dimmer switch. I put dimmer switches in every room possible, even the laundry room. I transform that room into a coatroom for parties simply by putting a collapsible clothes rack and lowering the lights. This easy trick will be a treat to enjoy year-round, but it will also be the perfect tool to create glowing rooms for holiday gatherings throughout the upcoming months. By simply installing a dimmer switch, you will be able to soften the lights instantly, adding drama and intimacy to a room not to mention quickly changing the ambiance of your entire life!

Life is not just boring black and white. The interesting things are in the gray areas that we live in on a daily basis, and the same goes for lighting! Dimmer switches are a simple way to add a little middle ground between off and on and bring some life to your lighting. Softer light is much sexier and flattering, and it can add some rich tones to a not-so-exciting room.

Below is an easy step-by-step way to install a dimmer switch that takes no time (even for the DIY-impaired). Let the ambiance begin!

designer lifestyle

How-To Install a Dimmer Switch

Note: Dimmer switches come in four popular varieties: slide, dial, touchpad, and switch/slide combo. It is important to read the directions for your particular device, but this general how-to guide will show you just how easy it really is to make a dramatic change in your space.

Materials: Dimmer switch kit, screwdriver, wire-cutters or wire-strippers, cordless drill and screwdriver attachment, needle-nose pliers, circuit tester

Safety First: Be sure the power to the circuit you are working on is turned off at the main breaker box or fuse panel. Breakers: Find the right breaker in the breaker box and flip it to the “off” position. Fuses: If you have a fuse box, find the right fuse and remove it completely from the panel. Test to make sure the power to the circuit has been disconnected by simply flipping the switch to the “on” position and have the lights turned off. (Once the switch plate is removed, you need to double-check that the circuit is disconnected by testing the wires with a circuit tester.)

Step 1: Use a screwdriver or a reversible cordless drill with a screwdriver attachment to remove the old switch plate.

Step 2: Remove the switch from the exposed workbox by unscrewing the screws at the bottom of the switch. (This is the step in which you should double-check that the circuit is off with a circuit tester.)

Step 3: Disconnect the wires that are attached to the light switch. There should be three wires: black, white and green (it may be a bare copper wire in some cases).

Step 4: Use the wire cutters to cut the three exposed wires just below their plastic coverings. Strip the wire about 3/8″ using the wire-cutters or a wire-stripper (this tool makes the job of stripping much easier, but isn’t necessary).

Step 5: Connect the black wire in the existing box to the black wire on the new dimmer switch by placing the two exposed wires next to each other and twisting on a wire nut (make sure that the bare wire is completely encased in the wire nut). Do the same for the white wires and the ground wires (green or brass) as well.

Step 6: Bend the wires in a zigzag pattern so that they easily fit back into the workbox. Push the switch into place and adjust it so that it’s straight, and the orientation of the switch is correct (up is “on” and down is “off”). Tighten the two screws to hold it in position.

Step 7: Install the new switch plate by tightening the provided plate screws.

Step 8: Switch the breaker box back on or reinstall the fuse.

Step 9: Test out your new dimmer switch to make sure that the installation was a success and enjoy!

Note: If the switch does not work, turn off your breaker or fuse again and double-check your wiring. Check that black is with black, white is with white, etc. (Also be sure that the wire nuts are tight and secure.)

Now that you’ve got these simple steps, go ahead and start living your most seductive life!

What are you waiting for?

What type of lighting is your favorite to create a sensual mood?

News From http://www.kissmagazines.com

5 Creative Ways To Wrap Your Magazine Gift Subscription

Wrap Your Magazine Gift Subscription

Magazine subscription makes great gifts but can be a hard to present to the recipient. But not with these five ideas for cleverly unveiling your gift.

Magazine subscriptions can be one of the toughest gifts to physically present. What exactly do you wrap? You can’t put an email under the tree, but here are five creative ways to present your gift subscription so you still have something to stuff in the stocking or place beneath the pine this year.

1. Show off your style. Use a stylish scarf and a copy of the magazine from your local newsstand. Roll the magazine with the cover facing out, and tie it with the scarf. You can also wrap the rolled scarf and magazine in a wine-bottle gift bag with tissue paper.

 Wrap Your Magazine Gift Subscription

2. Stuff a tiny stocking. Pick up a miniature stocking in the Christmas wrapping section at your local discount or gifts store. Print the magazine cover from Magazines.com and attach the image to card stock, trimmed to fit into the stocking. You can always write a thoughtful note announcing your gift on the back of the card.

Wrap Your Magazine Gift Subscription

3. Fits like a glove. Buy a pair of garden or work gloves and some small tools like garden shears, weeding tools, a screwdriver, etc. Then pick up a copy of the magazine you’ve given at your local magazine newsstand. Place the tools together in one glove and roll up the magazine in the other. Use the gloves as the gift bag, or place them into a gift bag surrounded by tissue paper.

Wrap Your Magazine Gift Subscription

4. Spread some holiday spirit. Buy a festive cookie cutter or set of cookie cutters at the store. Print the cover of your gift magazine from Magazines.com and glue it to cardstock. Trim to size and punch a hole in one end. Use twine or ribbon to tie the tag announcing your gift to the cookie cutter, and wrap in a small gift bag.

Wrap Your Magazine Gift Subscription

5. Create a subscription ornament. On a color printer, print the cover of your gift subscription and tape the image to a new ornament. Then, you can hang the ornament on the tree or wrap it up like a present.

Wrap Your Magazine Gift Subscription

Magazine subscriptions are an affordable and much appreciated gift, so be sure to find the best magazines for your friends and loved ones this season. Then, grab some scissors and tape and set to work presenting the gift with your own personal style.

List The Hottest Men’s Fashion Magazines

Maxim Magazine

Although women practically rule the fashion world, we as men are equally important. Thats why Luxury Millionaire has compiled a list of the hottest (and less ex-rated, sorry Playboy fans) mens fashion magazines out there. From style, media, sports, and more, these mens magazines are on point!

1) No mens fashion list can start without mentioning “GQ Magazine.” Featuring the hottest styles for men, entertainment, news, politics, women, sports, food, travel, and so much more, GQ Magazine is “the” mens magazine!

GQ Magazine

2) Next on our list is “Mens Vogue.” Featuring mens fashion, accessories, a style guide, and more, the Mens Vogue franchise demands attention.

Mens Vogue Magazine

3) Next on our list is the provocative “Maxim Magazine.” Featuring sexy women in scandalous appearl, the latest movies, humor segments, music, sports, and more, Maxim Magazine makes no apologies.

Maxim Magazine

4) In at number four is “FHM Magazine.” Featuring hot girls, news, FHM TV, webgames, and style, FHM is another magazine that offers no apologies. FHM Magazine

5) Last but not least, we have “Nylon Guys Magazine.” Featuring men’s fashion, toys and gadgets, beautiful women, travel, and more, Nylon magazine is the mans version of retro-sheek.

Nylon Guys Magazine