When it comes to repainting walls, most people will willingly spend considerable time deciding what would look best in terms of colours, textures and materials. But when it comes to the ceiling, there is a tendency to simply repaint it white.?! This time, start at the top and shake things up a bit.

First off, when we repaint a white surface white again, imperfections and poor preparation can easily go unnoticed. When planning a colour change or other application, taking the proper amount of time and effort to prepare the surface is of the utmost importance – so you don’t end up wasting your valuable time or money.

Painting the ceiling in a colour other than white is an easy way to change the feel of any room. But what colour? A simple and effective solution is to use a shade of the wall colour. By using shades of the same colour, you will ensure that all the tones look good together. You just need to decide if going lighter or darker will better enhance the proportions of the room…

To create a ceiling that is lighter than the walls – an ideal way to add visual height to a room - mix one part of the wall's paint with two or three parts pure white. But if a colour darker than the walls to give the effect of lowering the ceiling is what you want, simply adding black to your wall paint won’t work. Consult a paint supply store for colour swatches and choose an appropriate darker shade. (Tip: You can increase this ‘lower ceiling’ effect by painting several inches of the walls just below the ceiling the same colour as the ceiling.)

While you have brush in hand, consider other paint techniques to add flair to the ceiling. Simple stenciling can create an interesting effect. Try stenciling using a different colour, or include a shape or theme conveyed elsewhere in the home. Or use a clear gloss paint to create a tone-on-tone border or stenciling detail.

Feeling even more adventurous, consider gold reflective paint, a faux finish or freehand mural. And if you want to go all out, add cornice moulding, plaster medallions, faux beams, tin or wooden panels, a drop-ceiling - the sky’s the limit, because… ceilings aren’t just white anymore.

Be environmentally conscious when cooking on the stove - use lids as much as possible. A saucepan covered with a well fitting lid uses 25% less energy when boiling than a saucepan without a lid. Now that's energy efficiency!

In addition to saving energy, using a lid will help you boil water faster and cook foods quicker. Use the lid that matches with your pot or pan whenever possible. Well-fitted lids are much less likely to let out precious steam.

You may even find that something that you normally cooked on high heat without a lid can be cooked on medium heat with a lid, and in less time! Plus, keeping the steam in the pot prevents spa-like conditions in the kitchen.

So next time you cook, and especially boil - don't forget to put a lid on it! Or for even better results, use a pressure cooker. They can save up to 70 % less energy!

“A heart that loves is always young.”
~ Greek Proverb

February is Black History Month - a time to recount the stories, experiences, and accomplishments of people of African origin in Canada. Did j’a know;

• The first recorded person of African heritage to set foot in what would become Canada arrived some 400 years ago. It is believed that, in 1604, Mathieu Da Costa arrived with the French explorers Pierre Du Gua De Monts and Samuel de Champlain. Da Costa, a free man, worked as an interpreter, providing an invaluable link with the Mik’maq people encountered by the Europeans.
• Slavery existed in Canada from 1628 until it was abolished in Upper Canada in 1793.
• In 1793, the Abolition Act was passed in Upper Canada, now known as Ontario. This law freed slaves aged 25 and over and made it illegal to bring slaves into Upper Canada. The Abolition Act also made Canada the first jurisdiction in the British Empire to move toward the abolition of slavery.
• In 1833, the British Imperial Act abolished slavery throughout the British Empire. Between 1800 and 1865, approximately 20,000 Black people escaped from the USA to Canada via the Underground Railway.
• In spite of the great contributions Black Canadians have made, many still face challenges in our society. According to the Ethnic Diversity Survey that was released in 2003, almost half of the Black Canadians surveyed said they have experienced some form of discrimination or unfair treatment in the past five years.

• Teachers receive the most valentines, followed by kids, mothers, wives and sweethearts.
• Women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines.
• Over 50 percent of all Valentine's Day cards are purchased in the six days prior to the holiday.
• One billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making it the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas.
• There are three different Saint Valentines mentioned in the writings of the Roman Catholic Church.
• The Catholic Church struck St. Valentine’s Day from its official calendar in 1969.
• According to the condom company Durex, condom sales are 20% to 30% higher than usual around Valentine's Day.
• More at-home pregnancy tests are sold in March than in any other month.
• Penicillin, a popular treatment for venereal diseases such as syphilis, was introduced to the world on February 14, 1929.
• The Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare's lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet every Valentine's Day.

Silicon Bakeware - I only used silicon bakeware for the first time last fall; a strainer. I admit that up until then I was a little skeptical about these rubbery items being suitable for baking and cooking. But they are not merely suitable, they are ideal! If you haven't tried any of the silicon bakeware items yet, read this information about their usefulness. 
 
Eco-Friendly Hemp Clothing - It doesn't mean grass skirts and rough, poorly-fitted garments. Hemp has become a serious choice of fabric for a wide range of clothing items, and a much better choice when you consider the environment. I've had a pair of hemp jeans for years and they have been and still are the most comfortable thing I wear. This site has a great selection of apparel, plus bed and bath items. 
 
All-Day Valentine’s Day – If you have young children, this Valentine’s Day presents a great opportunity to enjoy this frivolously fun day for a whole day, since it falls on a Saturday this year. We’re planning a few things starting with a Valentine’s breakfast. Other great ideas can be found on this site.
 
Spring Break Ideas - It will be upon us before we know it! Are you ready? Do you have some activities planned for the kids? Make it a fun time for them. Check out this site for some ideas and helpful advice to plan ahead so you can avoid the added tension and stress that comes from not being prepared for Spring Break.

As the seasonal deep freeze gives way to less severe low temps, sap will start flowing again and begin the annual Canadian tradition of making maple syrup. People of all ages will welcome the naturally sweet flavour of the harvest and savour the aromas eminating from sugar shacks.

Enjoying the early spring bounty is easy. But if you want to make it last so you can enjoy maple syrup year-round, be sure to store it safely. Once opened, containers of maple syrup should be kept in a refrigerator or freezer. If stored at room temperature, maple syrup can develop mold.

The best place for storing maple syrup is in the freezer. Standard density maple syrup will not freeze solid but will become too thick to pour easily. After thawing enough to pour, the container should be shaken, the required amount taken out and the container resealed and put back into the freezer.

Looking for maple syrup recipes? Check out OntarioMapleSyrup.com.

Valentines Day Crafts - Meaghan, age 9, says, "My sister and I tried a few of these crafts. They are really fun and most are pretty easy. We each made 3 of the roses out of red foam so we can give Mom a half dozen for Valentine's Day. She's the best Mom there is!"

Matthieu Da Costa Challenge – Max, age 12, says, “I wrote a story about my great-great-grandfather coming to this country and helping others who came with him. Everyone looked up to him and he probably even saved lives. I hope I win. But if you plan to submit something, better hurry. They must be mailed by February 20th.”

Skate Capades – Marnie, age 8, says, “My best friend Samantha and I go skating on the pond with my dad. We like racing with the other kids and playing games like Freeze Tag that we learned about on this website.”

Top 11 Hockey ‘Secrets’ – Liam, age 11, says, “We finished first in the regular season. Now we’re in the playoffs. I want to make sure we make it to the final game this year, so I’m working extra hard in practice and doing some of my own practicing. I read some great tips on this site and learned some neat drills, too.”

Put the programs you use the most on your Windows taskbar instead of your desktop so you can get to them without having to return to the Windows desktop. The following steps work for both XP and Vista:

1. First turn on the Quick Launch taskbar. From the Windows desktop, right click on the Start button and left click on Properties. Click on the Taskbar tab, and check the box that says Show Quick Launch. Click Ok.
2. Locate the program icon on your desktop for the program you want to add to the taskbar.
3. Drag the icon to the taskbar and hold it there until you see a black cursor line appear.
4. Let go of the mouse button. The icon will “drop” into place where you held it.
5. Repeat for any other programs.
6. Once you are done, lock the taskbar by right-clicking the Start button, then click Properties.
7. On the taskbar tab, check the box next to Lock the Taskbar. Click Ok.

In older homes, often the ceiling doesn't line up with the walls at a perfect 90-degree angle and years of painting and plaster touch-ups can create a rather rough seem where the wall meets the ceiling. These little hurdles can make even the most carefully applied paint look horribly uneven. 

To deal with such imperfections, use the wall paint to paint a strip 1 to 2 cm. (¼ to ¾ in.) wide all around the ceiling where it meets the wall. The small, straight strip of wall-color paint on the ceiling will give the illusion that the walls and ceiling line up properly and will help obscure imperfections.

“It is better to have loved and lost than to never have lost at all.” ~ Samuel Butler

“I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I don't know the answer.” ~ Douglas Adams

"Never go to bed mad -- stay up and fight." ~ Phyllis Diller

“If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?” ~ Anon