How?

1. Recycle.

2. Choose fair trade products.

3. Switch to green/natural toiletries.

4. Use safe, homemade cleaners.

5. Reuse, reuse, reuse.

6. Use rags rather than paper towels.

7. Pack no-waste lunches.

8. Adjust your thermostat by a couple of degrees.

9. Stock a natural medicine cabinet.

10. Grow house plants.

11. Start a garden.

12. Compost kitchen scraps.

13. Use natural feminine care products.

14. Reduce the amount of trash you produce.

15. Buy recycled products.

16. Buy used.

17. Use cloth diapers.

18. Avoid sunscreen as much as possible.

19. Choose organic produce wisely.

20. Collect water in a rain barrel.

21. Use a natural alternative to laundry detergent.

22. Hang your laundry to dry.

23. Go paperless.

24. Pick up trash from an area park or road.

25. Avoid plastic wrap.

26. Unplug electronics when they’re not in use.

27. Eliminate plastics from your kitchen.

28. Avoid antibacterial soap.

29. Walk or ride a bike instead of driving.

30. Stay home.

From: http://green.yourway.net/30-changes-to-make-to-go-green

Exploring the Different Types of Healthy Dog Treats

Like humans, dogs deserve to have a treat every now and then, as a form of reward or an incentive for training. And just like humans, dogs have a danger of becoming overweight too, that’s why dog treats need to be as healthy and as natural as possible.

There are a lot of healthy dog treats available in the market today, usually they are bite-sized and chewable, ideal for carrying around and be given at random times throughout the day. But as a pet-owner, if you have the time to create your dog’s treat, the better. There are many recipes available online that you can choose from.

Why Homemade Healthy Treats Are a Better Option

1. You are assured of a healthier treat for your pet.
2. It is budget-friendly and a more cost efficient option.
3. You can try and experiment with a variety of flavors.

What are the guidelines when creating homemade dog treats?

The key to creating healthy dog treats is in the ingredients. The very simple guide in choosing ingredients is quite simple and is applicable with how we should cook our meals too.

You should choose ingredients in this order of preference, the nearer to its natural state the better (raw and organic are the best options):

1. Raw
2. Cooked but fresh
3. Cooked in a packet
4. Cooked in a tin

Preparing Homemade Dog Treats

• Make sure to have 75%  protein in the treat.  Choose fresh meat. It is highly recommended that you buy meat straight from the butcher. Use stewing meats, lean beef, beef liver, beef heart and boneless roast or steak. You can also choose leg of lamb, boneless stewing lamb and shank. Chicken fillet, skinless or boneless chicken are also good options.
• Add a raw egg. Not only are eggs packed with high quality protein, they also help make a sloppy paste texture which binds the mixture and makes it easier in the cooking.
• Add vegetables. You can add cucumber, pumpkin, squash, carrots, broccoli and sweet potatoes. Avoid bell peppers, tomato, onions, beans and garlic as it will give digestive problems to your pet.

Know the Right Amount of Food to Provide Your Dog
If your dog is already adult, compute it by multiplying by 0.4 his body weight. The resulting equivalent will be the amount in ounces that your dog must eat per day.

I have fallen in love with this Pottery Barn daily system ever since I saw it from their site years ago. I am glad that you can do it on your own! Thank you Knock-off Decor!
I’d personally want a white daily system.

I have always wanted to get a wall decal that features a saying or quote for one of our walls. But I am fickle-minded on what quote to use! I have a huge collection of really great quotes on my Pinterest “Words” board but haven’t even gotten close to deciding which quote I want to feautre!

Don’t you just love the green accent wall? I think it would be perfect for home offices or setting up an area in a room where you can work. The green provides rest for the eyes when you need to focus on something else besides the computer monitor and it clearly states your work area. Now, video conferencing with clients and bosses can be easier to do!

I would love to do this in my work area!

I am thinking of getting my children a lazy susan for their arts and crafts supplies. I can even get one for myself, to put on my desk as I can use it to store little knick knacks like staple wires, pins, Proflowers coupons and the numerous pens I have in stock that manage to get lost in alarming frequencies over the past few weeks.

What I love about this is that it is portable. We do not have a designated workstation for the kids yet so they tend to do draw and do crafts in the floor of the living room. They can carry this around when they use it and return it to their shelves afterwards without any extra effort of “cleaning up” after the mess. This is always the fight I have with my kids – cleaning up after their messes.

Some of the luxury furniture pieces that you can buy from Savannah Collections

Our home is considered our sanctuary as it is here where we feel totally safe, secure, and comfortable. It is the comforts of our home that we long for after a long day’s work where we can finally relax and just enjoy the company of family or friends.

That is why for most homeowners, they make their home as beautiful and inviting as possible and they accomplish this by accessorizing it with luxury furniture.

Some might be intimidated by the word luxury and connotes it to expensive but there are a lot of furniture manufacturers that offers the elegance and class of luxury furniture without having the need to spend an arm and a leg. One of those furniture companies is Savannah Collections.

Savannah Collections has in their store top quality furniture that is comparable and is equal in quality with famous brands like Marge Carson, Thomasville, Drexel Heritage, Henredon, Baker, Century, Karges, EJ Victor, etc that is more affordable as they sell it at factory direct price. This eliminates the additional cost being passed to consumer like markups, overhead, sales commission, and more.

The furniture that you will find from Savannah Collections is a mix of classic American and European design that is made from high quality hardwood using the finest craftsmanship and furniture construction methods. Their furniture showcase the classic elegance of the past combined with the features of new technology.

Let us take a look at some of the luxury furniture pieces that you can find from Savannah Collections:

1. Southbridge 4-Seater Sofa
This sofa has an Antique Walnut finish and is made from high-grade European fabric. Full attention to details has been given for the design of this sofa as it has hand-carved crown and wood details on arm and base made from mahogany wood.

2. Casabella Dining Table
This Casabella Dining table has a two-tone Egyptian Pearl with Antique Cognac finish. The intricate details on the leg and skirt have been hand carved from high-grade hardwood. This table is expandable with 2 x 18″ leaves and has a self-storage leaf system.

3. Oxford Bed
If you want to sleep like the royalties, then this Oxford bed is the one that you should try. It is made from high-grade European fabric, solid walnut wood, and has been hand-carved for a more perfect finish.

All of the furniture that you will find in Savannah Collections comes with a 30-day Audition Guarantee, which gives the buyer a 100% refund if they are not satisfied with the product. This just goes to show how confident they are with their craftsmanship.

If you want luxury and elegance for your home without breaking your bank account, then you should definitely check out the different furniture pieces from Savannah Collections.

I am quite in an organizing high the past days. I have been scouring the internet and Pinterest boards for inspiration on how I can approach organizing everything in our little home. One of the few things that really stood out to me is to LABEL STUFF. You got everything in their folders, from medical records to credit card debt billing statements and school stuff but if it is not properly labelled, chances are it will get unorganized in a few weeks time.

Now I want to invest on a good labeller!

Anyone can point me to a cheap one that is similar to this?

Loans (Photo credit: jferzoco)

Money struggles can happen to anyone. You could have the perfect budget, and you might have saved money for years only to find that an accident or illness might require that you spend all your savings just to get back to health. If you are in a tight situation, an emergency loan might give you the assistance you need to regroup and move on without penalties.

The Emergency Loan Defined

An emergency loan is simply what it sounds like. It’s a loan for a dire situation – not a house loan and not a loan for a vacation. In most cases, you can get an emergency loan for a smaller amount of money than other loans. You can also pay them back more quickly.

Who Can Get an Emergency Loan

If you want to get an emergency loan with as little hassle as possible, you must meet the basic criteria and know the rules. Although the rules vary according to which business you borrow from, you will find that most businesses require the borrower to be at least 18 years old. The individual should also have a valid checking account and a regular source of income.

Where to Get an Emergency Loan

When you go to apply for an emergency loan, look for a credit union or a bank. Another option is a payday installment loan from Great Plains Lending. Another way to get an emergency loan from a bank includes charges on a credit card. Watch out for these loans since they frequently come with high interest rates for payback.

You also might get a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit. A home equity loan is a kind of second mortgage. The home equity line of credit is a pool of monies available for borrowing. Your home is used as collateral for this type of loan.

If you have a good history of credit, you might find that you are eligible for an unsecured loan. If you default on the loan, your credit is marred. If you have poor credit to begin with, you might want to go right to a credit union for business transactions. The credit union can offer better options for your situation than a bank.

When you get a payday loan, you sign up for a very short term loan (generally around two weeks). Your goal is to pay back the loan (along with interest) by your next paycheck.

Sometimes getting an emergency loan is the smartest way to get on your feet once again. Keep your good credit reputation and avoid more fees with this type of short-term option.

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Every month, people work hard in order to receive their salaries, but in turn, they’ll still have to pay a specific amount of money to the government, depending on how much they earn each month. This is what they call income tax; a deduction from their salary to support the government. Many people, who desperately need the money, avoid paying these taxes, eventually resulting in huge income tax debts.

Why pay taxes?

Income tax is something that everyone is required by law to pay. Non-payment, or not filing taxes can land the debtor in serious trouble, not only with the debt to pay but because of financial penalties that are added as an incentive to make sure that these debts are paid on time. This, in turn, magnifies the problem.

If the right approach is made by a legal representative of the debtor, then the Inland Revenue Service (or IRS) are obliged to work with the legal representative and give more flexible terms for the repayment of the sum owed.

In the situation of a bankruptcy, there will still be creditors to pay. Legally, the first to be paid is always the IRS. No other debtor is paid until the debt to the IRS has been settled in full. Often, the IRS will force a company into liquidation to claim back the taxes that are owed.

In order to get through these problems, it is important to seek legal options when dealing with income tax debts.

Exploring the legal options

Lawyers who are experienced in this field can help you by laying out various options for you. They can help negotiate with the debtor and you might be able to get the best possible solution or a good outcome where both parties will be satisfied.

These options may include an extension of your time for payment, negotiating on an installment plan for your income tax, the use of savings or loans just to pay your income tax and the possibility of compromising for less than the amount you actually owe. Your lawyer can help you get one of these options, whichever one will work best for you and your current situation.

Results

By seeking legal advice when dealing with income tax debts, you may be able to find yourself with less worries and a better payment plan for your income tax. Work with your income tax lawyer to arrange the legal option you’re most comfortable with.

Just like all other debts, income tax should not be piled up to hassle you eventually in the future. Make sure that your employer has rightfully withheld tax from your salary so that you don’t have to worry about any debts by the end of the year.