Thursday, August 18, 2011
Check out and Rate this Home/Dorm Office – HomeSense Design your Digs Contest!
Check out and Rate this Home/Dorm Office – HomeSense Design your Digs Contest!: Check out and Rate this Home/Dorm Office – HomeSense Design your Digs Contest!
Saturday, July 30, 2011
My experience at the new Pickle Barrel Restaurant.
I have finally had a chance to visit and eat at the new Pickle Barrel in Newmarket. It has been in the making for some time now due to some sort of delay. I have been driving by it now since the opening with much anticipation to try it out.
From the outside it is very inviting with the perfect curb appeal. Its contemporary look and beautiful gardens in front are most certain to draw in customers. The inside is beautiful and relaxing with earthy colours of grays, browns and beige's. Very spacious, comfortable seating, everything was neat and clean. My waitress Sarah was very cheerful and friendly.
The menu arrived and it was a book. I was excited to see Rose Riseman had a special section in the menu book with her special recipes. I love all of her information on healthier choices so I have been following her on Twitter and TV appearances. After 10 minutes of looking through the book I finally decided what I wanted and it was the Basa fish with light panko breading, vegetables and brown basmati rice, it was perfect for my special diet needs.
So now! the place was inviting, the atmosphere was beautiful, calm and comfortable, I was very excited to eat. Staff was friendly, the menu large but I guess they are trying a new approach and it is well written.
The food arrived and the portion was big but plated very sloppy, the colours were all the same browny beige, with not much mouth watering appeal,then I tasted it. Lets just say I will never order that again, it was salty, heavily breaded(panko breadcrumbs should be light, crispy and flaky)it was fried and not very tasty at all. The brown rice did not taste like basmati and was overcooked, the vegetables were soaked in thick soya type sauce.
I am not one to complain in a restaurant or send food back I will try to eat what I have or not at all, but it does affect if I will return and give it another go. I am just disappointed because I really did want it to be my new go to place and really even though everything else was perfect, lets face it, its all about the food and being a cook and food blogger myself. I think that the way food is made in any restaurant especially a chain should be consistent in quality,taste and plating. I rarely eat at those famous fast food places but I must say no matter which one or where or how long I haven't had it, MacDonalds food is consistent and exactly what you expect every time. That is the product of proper training and high standards of protocol. That is something to learn from.
That's my experience, I love to hear yours.
Rose Arangio
From the outside it is very inviting with the perfect curb appeal. Its contemporary look and beautiful gardens in front are most certain to draw in customers. The inside is beautiful and relaxing with earthy colours of grays, browns and beige's. Very spacious, comfortable seating, everything was neat and clean. My waitress Sarah was very cheerful and friendly.
The menu arrived and it was a book. I was excited to see Rose Riseman had a special section in the menu book with her special recipes. I love all of her information on healthier choices so I have been following her on Twitter and TV appearances. After 10 minutes of looking through the book I finally decided what I wanted and it was the Basa fish with light panko breading, vegetables and brown basmati rice, it was perfect for my special diet needs.
So now! the place was inviting, the atmosphere was beautiful, calm and comfortable, I was very excited to eat. Staff was friendly, the menu large but I guess they are trying a new approach and it is well written.
The food arrived and the portion was big but plated very sloppy, the colours were all the same browny beige, with not much mouth watering appeal,then I tasted it. Lets just say I will never order that again, it was salty, heavily breaded(panko breadcrumbs should be light, crispy and flaky)it was fried and not very tasty at all. The brown rice did not taste like basmati and was overcooked, the vegetables were soaked in thick soya type sauce.
I am not one to complain in a restaurant or send food back I will try to eat what I have or not at all, but it does affect if I will return and give it another go. I am just disappointed because I really did want it to be my new go to place and really even though everything else was perfect, lets face it, its all about the food and being a cook and food blogger myself. I think that the way food is made in any restaurant especially a chain should be consistent in quality,taste and plating. I rarely eat at those famous fast food places but I must say no matter which one or where or how long I haven't had it, MacDonalds food is consistent and exactly what you expect every time. That is the product of proper training and high standards of protocol. That is something to learn from.
That's my experience, I love to hear yours.
Rose Arangio
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Creating an office space at home
If you run a home business or require a space to do work that you bring home from your job, then it might be best to have a room that you can convert into an office. Having a proper space will help to keep your work separate from the rest of your house. Different businesses require different amounts of space, however you can make whatever room you have work with the right storage and desk.
-Plan out what you need and draw a rough sketch with measurements then visit some storage stores such as Solutions and Ikea for ideas and products that will help.
-Choose paint colours that will be pleasing for you to work in for an extended amount of time.
-A desk can be a dining table if you don't want to use an office desk, but make sure your chair is comfortable and has back support.
-If you are lucky to have a room with a window or view then take advantage and face your desk so that you can glance outside from time to time, its great for eye strain.
-Use enough and proper ambient and task lighting for your needs.
-If you conduct meetings have extra chairs on hand for your clients to use.
-Add some art, accessories and textures to add personality and interest.
-Use your vertical space, floor to ceiling book shelves hold a multitude of storage. You can use nice boxes and baskets to keep everything neat and tidy.
-Keep a good work habit and don't let your office get cluttered and messy just because its in your home, always practice tidying up when your done for the day.
I work from home and converted my dining room for my office space. Its right at the front of the house by the front door which is great for when I have clients visit. I face a large window so I can look out at the view and also see who is coming. I use my dining table which is big and gives me all the space I require for looking at samples of paint chips, window coverings, fabrics and drawings. I love my office space, it's full of my personality and its a great space for me to work in for many hours and still feel good.
l
-Plan out what you need and draw a rough sketch with measurements then visit some storage stores such as Solutions and Ikea for ideas and products that will help.
-Choose paint colours that will be pleasing for you to work in for an extended amount of time.
-A desk can be a dining table if you don't want to use an office desk, but make sure your chair is comfortable and has back support.
-If you are lucky to have a room with a window or view then take advantage and face your desk so that you can glance outside from time to time, its great for eye strain.
-Use enough and proper ambient and task lighting for your needs.
-If you conduct meetings have extra chairs on hand for your clients to use.
-Add some art, accessories and textures to add personality and interest.
-Use your vertical space, floor to ceiling book shelves hold a multitude of storage. You can use nice boxes and baskets to keep everything neat and tidy.
-Keep a good work habit and don't let your office get cluttered and messy just because its in your home, always practice tidying up when your done for the day.
I work from home and converted my dining room for my office space. Its right at the front of the house by the front door which is great for when I have clients visit. I face a large window so I can look out at the view and also see who is coming. I use my dining table which is big and gives me all the space I require for looking at samples of paint chips, window coverings, fabrics and drawings. I love my office space, it's full of my personality and its a great space for me to work in for many hours and still feel good.
l
Monday, July 11, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Garage Sale Missions
Having a yard or garage sale is a great way to de-clutter your home and earn some extra cash at the same time. Its very easy to accumulate stuff, we all do it, it's normal, BUT we have to get rid of things once or even twice a year so things don't get out of hand. Cleaning out your closets and cupboards should be done often so it doesn't become a horrible chore. Get the family involved. If kids are old enough they can be in charge of their own things and keep their earnings as an incentive.
The easiest way is donating, just simply put gently used clothing and household items in a bag and take them to your local goodwill and they will handle the rest.
Re-purposing is also good if you have things that you don't use maybe there is a way to turn it in something you will use again. Saves the environment and keep things from the landfill.
Having a sale is a great way to give a new home to your unwanted items and earn some moola at the same time.
Preparation when having a sale is a must.
1: Start a week before by putting all your items in one area of your home.
2: Group all like things together.
3: Price things individually or as a group with stickers(you can get them from the dollar store). Price things low if you want to get rid of them.
4: Put out bright signage the week before to alert passer buys and you can even post an ad in your local paper.
5: Set things up on tables in the garage the night before so you can just carry them out on the morning of you sale day bright and early. (people drive around and start looking for sales around 7 am)The early bird catches the worm.
6: Be friendly and be willing to haggle with people in order to get the sale.
7: Reduce whats left items by 10am because sales usually last only until 12 or so.
8: Donate left over things, so your not bring the clutter back inside your home.
9: Count your money and treat your selves to something like dinner a renovation or savings for a vacation fund.I just had one and used the cash to build a pergola in my backyard. I will post pictures when it is fully complete. It felt great to clear my space, make some money.
The after picture is above, what a difference it makes, for now I used dollar store mats that we nailed inside the rafters and are rolled up in the picture. I roll the mats up and down and tie them and are for added sun shade protection as we are west facing in the back and get a lot of sun at dinner time. In the future we will add something more permanent. My backyard has been in the making for several years, this being the final and almost complete project.
The easiest way is donating, just simply put gently used clothing and household items in a bag and take them to your local goodwill and they will handle the rest.
Re-purposing is also good if you have things that you don't use maybe there is a way to turn it in something you will use again. Saves the environment and keep things from the landfill.
Having a sale is a great way to give a new home to your unwanted items and earn some moola at the same time.
Preparation when having a sale is a must.
1: Start a week before by putting all your items in one area of your home.
2: Group all like things together.
3: Price things individually or as a group with stickers(you can get them from the dollar store). Price things low if you want to get rid of them.
4: Put out bright signage the week before to alert passer buys and you can even post an ad in your local paper.
5: Set things up on tables in the garage the night before so you can just carry them out on the morning of you sale day bright and early. (people drive around and start looking for sales around 7 am)The early bird catches the worm.
6: Be friendly and be willing to haggle with people in order to get the sale.
7: Reduce whats left items by 10am because sales usually last only until 12 or so.
8: Donate left over things, so your not bring the clutter back inside your home.
9: Count your money and treat your selves to something like dinner a renovation or savings for a vacation fund.I just had one and used the cash to build a pergola in my backyard. I will post pictures when it is fully complete. It felt great to clear my space, make some money.
The after picture is above, what a difference it makes, for now I used dollar store mats that we nailed inside the rafters and are rolled up in the picture. I roll the mats up and down and tie them and are for added sun shade protection as we are west facing in the back and get a lot of sun at dinner time. In the future we will add something more permanent. My backyard has been in the making for several years, this being the final and almost complete project.
Monday, May 30, 2011
DIYs must have this app
With so many apps available I go nuts when there is a really good free one that will actually be so very useful almost every day. My new favorite is The Home Depot app. A cousin of mine alerted me on this one, he knows how often I renovate and make numerous trips to home depot and so does he.
A must have for anyone and especially DIYs, this app has everything from A-Z. Numerous project videos so you can see how to, quick tips and Product demos. You can select the store of your choice and view products in stock with price lists. There is a handy toolbox with cool measuring devices and conversion charts, calculators etc. eFlyers and help buttons.
The most fun thing of all is the bar code scanner, my husband made a trip to Home Depot just to try that out. He was like a kid in the candy store, it was a funny site to see. No more notes on pieces drywall or 2x4s you can simply write your list on the same app.
Sometimes I curse at how fast technology is going because I have to keep up but then you get something cool like a helpful app and it gets exciting even for me.
Pass a great app to a friend and share the feeling. Thanks Paul :)
A must have for anyone and especially DIYs, this app has everything from A-Z. Numerous project videos so you can see how to, quick tips and Product demos. You can select the store of your choice and view products in stock with price lists. There is a handy toolbox with cool measuring devices and conversion charts, calculators etc. eFlyers and help buttons.
The most fun thing of all is the bar code scanner, my husband made a trip to Home Depot just to try that out. He was like a kid in the candy store, it was a funny site to see. No more notes on pieces drywall or 2x4s you can simply write your list on the same app.
Sometimes I curse at how fast technology is going because I have to keep up but then you get something cool like a helpful app and it gets exciting even for me.
Pass a great app to a friend and share the feeling. Thanks Paul :)
Friday, May 6, 2011
Setting the table for Mothers Day
Nothing says I love you more to a mom then taking the time to prepare a special meal with a place setting you have done yourself just for her. It can be as simple as a boiled egg and toast, a muffin or a bowl of cereal. The point is you did just for her. Here are some ideas to inspire you to pull this look together:
1 Mix and match plates, glasses, china and cutlery using your own flare depending on what you will be serving. Keep things simple if you have colourful accessories a plain tablecloth will work best. If the accesories are all one colour you can use a colourful tablecloth
2 Add some fresh flowers or even just a single bud,this will make the table inviting,any kind will do. If you don't have a vase use a glass or anything that will hold the flowers.
3 You can add a place setting card that you make yourself or small gift on the plate.Use your imagination and make it yours.
4 Make her chair special and stand out from the rest by wrapping it in a simple white tablecloth, I have a picture shown. I draped it over the chair and tied it in the back, it took 30 seconds and voila.
For all mothers in the world Happy Mothers Day!
Rose Arangio
1 Mix and match plates, glasses, china and cutlery using your own flare depending on what you will be serving. Keep things simple if you have colourful accessories a plain tablecloth will work best. If the accesories are all one colour you can use a colourful tablecloth
2 Add some fresh flowers or even just a single bud,this will make the table inviting,any kind will do. If you don't have a vase use a glass or anything that will hold the flowers.
3 You can add a place setting card that you make yourself or small gift on the plate.Use your imagination and make it yours.
4 Make her chair special and stand out from the rest by wrapping it in a simple white tablecloth, I have a picture shown. I draped it over the chair and tied it in the back, it took 30 seconds and voila.
For all mothers in the world Happy Mothers Day!
Rose Arangio
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