11 smart tips to make your life easier

1.

Use leftover toilet paper rolls to store wrapping paper and preventing it from coming unfolded.

2.

A comb makes the perfect nail holder.

3.

Use a wooden spoon to prevent water from over-boiling.

4.

Sandals coming apart? Use a bread tie to keep them from breaking.

5.

Use a dustpan to fill buckets or pots that will not fit under the sink.

6.

Make ice cubes out of the same liquid they will be going in to prevent drink from becoming watered down.

7.

Bread ties make the perfect cord labels.

8.

Never trow away bottles. Simply remove the top portion to create easy and cheep bags for storage.

9.

Use sticky notes to catch debris while drilling.

10.

Don’t waste your money on Swiffer towels. Regular kitchen rags works just fine.

11.

Use a can opener to safely open those pesky plastic packages.

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Towards the day of love… Where to go for a Valentine’s Day?

Legend has it that Emperor Claudius I forbid men to get married, as he thought that married or engaged to men would not fight in the wars, because they will stay at home with their family. All priests are respected that decision, except Valentine. He still held wedding ceremony. Therefore he was thrown into prison, and on 14 February 269th decapitated. Shortly after that he was proclaimed as a saint, and from then 14.2. in the Catholic world is celebrated as the Day of St.. Valentine, Orthodox Christians celebrate St. Tryphon, while among young people this holiday popular as Valentine’s Day.

Did you ever wonder who sent the first Valentine’s Day card? The oldest card for this holiday was sent by the French Duke of Orleans while he was imprisoned in England, and he was wrote to his wife. A tradition of sending greeting cards of love comes from Sv. Valentine who was before his death sent a suicide note for a dungeon keeper daughter, who was blind. Sv. Valentin was on the end of the letter wrote “from your Valentine for the warmth that you showed to him,” and then on the girl could see. Since this event Valentine greetings around the world fill the mailboxes.

However, the tradition of sending romantic letters and cards, slowly fading, but be original, and send card of this type to your loved one. And what might be even more delighted your loved one, if you write a card with plenty of love and hand in some of the most romantic city.

Is there anything more romantic than driving in the beautiful canals of Venice with the gondolas? Probably most would say “No”. Therefore Valentine’s Day spend in this town, located in northern Italy. In one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in the world can visit the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, San Sebastian Church, St. Mark Church and Rialto bridge.

For the most romantic date in the year you can go to Vienna. This is, by the quality of life, the first city in the world. as the major city of the European Union is the 10th . It is the largest city of Austria, and the place has full of cultural and historical sights. Walk with your loved one start from the center of Vienna, which is on the UNESCO list of cultural heritage, and visit the many museums, Mozart’s home, Castle Belvedere, Schönbrunn Palace, Rupert’s Romanesque church, the Gothic cathedral of St. Stephen, Parliament …

Without doubt, the title of the most romantic city holds Paris. This is the capital and largest city of France, and the most visited tourist destination in the world. What the tourists first visit when they come to Paris? – Eiffel Tower, the most famous tower in the world, 324 m high. Then follows the tour to the Arc de Triomphe, then the Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Palace of disability, Concorde Square … We recommend you to climb to the highest peak of Paris – Montmartre, which offers stunning views of the entire city.

The richest history from all of the world capital has Rome, the capital of Italy. Rome is the center of ancient culture and open-air museum. Numerous witnesses of the past and the cultural and historical monuments are located within the city. The most popular attractions in Rome, the most famous in the world is the Colosseum, the largest amphitheater ever built in the Roman Empire. In Rome there is a pantheon, or temple of all gods, numerous museums and villas, churches, castles, fountains … Remember: “All roads lead to Rome”.

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Top 10 The Most Expensive Homes

As new home sales have fallen to record lows, building a super luxury mansion for sale today may strike some people as risky, if not crazy, but that is not stopping ambitious developers. In high-end enclaves across the U.S., a number of residences—some of which began construction before the recession—have come to market this year with asking prices north of $20 million (and in some cases considerably more).
To identify the most expensive new constructions for sale nationwide, Businessweek.com searched listings on Realtor.com, Sotheby’s International Realty, Corcoran, and Zillow.com. Some were built on spec—or built by developers for sale on the open market, not for a client—while others were custom-built for owners who later decided to sell. The biggest price tag we found: $100 million for a mansion in Windermere, Fla. The least? An 18,886 -sq. -ft. beach house in Boca Raton, Fla. for $22 million. While it remains a buyers market, there is some positive news for sellers: The ultra rich, or those with investable assets of at least $30 million, increased their wealth by 21.5 percent last year, and investing in residential real estate has regained appeal among the wealthy, according to the “2010 World Wealth Report” by Capgemini and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. The biggest home sale so far this year: a 2006 Bel-Air mansion called Le Belvedere, which had an original asking price of $85 million and sold for as much as $72 million (the final price was not released).

1. Windemere, Fla.

6121 Kirkstone Lane
Listing price: $100 million completed ($75 million as is)
Year built: 2011*

This 90,000-sq.-ft. lakefront house, originally conceived for David Siegel, chief executive of time-share company Westgate Resorts, is currently unfinished. Construction was halted on the mansion during the recession, reported wsj.com. The house is designed to have 13 bedrooms, 23 baths, a main kitchen with 10 satellite kitchens, and three swimming pools. Siegel is selling the house for $100 million completed, or unfinished for $75 million.

2. Palm Beach, Fla.

1220 South Ocean Boulevard
Listing price: $84 million
Year built: 2010

This gated French château-style home sits on 2.5 acres in one of Palm Beach’s most desirable areas, on the waterfront near the Bath & Tennis Club and Mar-A-Lago. The 27,300-sq.-ft. residence was completed this spring by Dan Swanson, president of Addison Development, and has eight en suite bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a 60-ft. pool, a separate guesthouse, and room to park 50 cars.

3. Beverly Hills, Calif.

9577 Sunset Boulevard
Listing price: $68.5 million
Year built: 2010

This enormous new residence offers about 36,000 sq. ft. of living space on nearly two acres. It has nine bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, a pool, tennis court, and gym with sauna, steam shower, and Jacuzzi. The owner, C. Frederick Wehba Sr., founder of real estate investment firm Bentley Forbes Group, spent four years and $65 million building the mansion for fund-raising events but decided to list it, according to the Los Angeles Business Journal.

4. Alpine, N.J.

1 Frick Drive
Listing price: $68 million
Year built: 2010

Richard Kurtz, chief executive of apartment management company Kamson Corp., started building this New Jersey mansion for himself and his family nearly three years ago but recently decided to move to Florida instead. Completed in July, this new estate features 30,000 sq. ft. of interior space, including 12 bedrooms, 15 full bathrooms and four half baths, a theater, indoor basketball court, 65-ft. pool, and a tennis court. Broker Dennis McCormack says this is the third largest house in Alpine, a small town that has also been home to such celebrities as Chris Rock and Britney Spears. If the house sells for the asking price of $68 million, it would be New Jersey’s most expensive home sale ever, McCormack says.

5. Bridgehampton, N.Y.

612 Halsey Lane
Listing price: $49.5 million
Year built: 2009

The Sandcastle estate, set on 11.5 acres, features 31,000 sq. ft. of living space on three floors, which include 12 bedrooms, 12 baths, and recreational amenities such as a pool, tennis court, skateboard half pipe, rock climbing wall, squash and racket ball court, two-lane bowling alley, full bar and disco, and a spa. It was originally built by Joe Farrell, founder of Farrell Building Co. in Bridgehampton, as his own residence, reports newsday.com, and has been rented for $500,000 per two-week stay. The asking price has been reduced from $59.5 million.

6. Palm Beach, Fla.

101 El Bravo Way
Listing Price: $47.5 million
Year Built: 2010

This Mediterranean residence, completed in the spring by Addison Development of Palm Beach, offers about 21,200 sq. ft. of living space on three floors that include nine bedrooms, eight full baths, and two half baths, according to realtor.com. The property has a swimming pool and 175 ft. of frontage on the Atlantic Ocean.

7. Santa Barbara, Calif.

East Mountain Drive Estate
Listing price: $42.5 million
Year built: 2010

This colonial-style Montecito estate includes a six-bedroom main residence measuring 10,800 sq. ft. and a two-bedroom guest home on five acres, featuring gardens, a 56-ft. pool, koi pond, and brook, among other amenities. The grounds feature views of the Pacific Ocean.

8. Greenwich, Conn.

14 Meadow Lane
Listing price: $36.5 million
Year built: 2010

This newly built Georgian Colonial-style estate sits on 14.48 acres near the Round Hill Country Club and has 14,131 sq. ft. of living space. The property features gardens, stables with grooms’ quarters, a pool and pool house, a stone gate house, and a one-mile walking path.

9. Aspen, Colo.

379 & 389 Ridge Road
Listing Price: $35 million
Year Built: 2009

A number of costly new homes have been completed in Aspen in the past two years. This luxury compound on Ridge Road consists of two adjacent lots on more than two acres. The main home, which is 11,300 sq. ft., has five bedrooms, five full baths, three half-baths, a theater, 1,600-bottle wine room, and three-car garage. The guesthouse, which measures 4,178 sq. ft., has five bedrooms, five and a baths, and a two-car garage.

10. Santa Barbara, Calif.

780 Ashley Road
Listing price: $35 million
Year built: 2010

This modern residence, called the Glass Pavilion, offers nearly 14,000 sq. ft. of living space, including five bedrooms, five and a half baths, and an art gallery large enough to exhibit 32 cars. The house, set on 3.5 acres of oak groves, overlooks the surrounding mountains and woods.

source

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Private Islands for Sale

The idea of owning your own island is probably a remote fantasy these days, especially after three years of economic carnage to your bank account, savings, and retirement portfolio. ut come on. It’s August. Maybe you’re on budget vacation, at the beach, or at a bayfront or lakefront rental. So who hasn’t gazed out at an island from the shore, and wondered what it would be like to own your own kingdom, tethered to civilization only by water or air? Think Robinson Crusoe. Sir Richard Branson, Johnny Depp, and Celine Dion all own their own islands.

1. Ram Island

Place: Machias Bay, Maine, 50 miles east of Bar Harbor
Asking Price: $595,000
Acreage: 16
Undeveloped

One tree, a few sheep, a 20 by 20 foot platform for pitching a tent, and a mooring in the cove. The rest is grass, rocks, and 360-degree views of the ocean and bay.

2. Treasure Island

Where: Lake Manitou in Northern Indiana
Asking Price: $775,000
Acreage: 1.25
Developed

Located halfway between Notre Dame and Purdue universities, this island on a 775-acre natural lake is a state-protected wetland. It features a one-bedroom, two-bath cottage built around 1900, but fully renovated in 1985. There’s electricity and running water, and three sides are all in windows. The property also includes a private pier area on the mainland for getting from the car to the boat.

3. Charlie’s Island

Where: Near Marathon, in the Florida Keys
Asking Price: $995,000
Acreage: 0.32
Undeveloped

The turquoise-colored roofs you see in the picture are open-air sitting areas with decks, chairs, and a campfire cooking area. But the island also comes with a 38-foot houseboat, not pictured here, that sleeps 4-5 people. Great reefs nearby for snorkeling. All the seafood you can eat.

4. Snug Harbour Island

Where: On Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada
Asking Price: $1,057,000
Acreage: 3
Developed

A two-hour drive from Toronto, this island features a two-bedroom, two-bath cottage with a glassed-in porch overlooking the water, a separate guest cabin with bathroom, hot tub built into the rock outcropping, and a boathouse with deep water mooring. Running water, electric, a septic field. And it has wireless Internet access. So you could get away from it all, but still check your e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter accounts.

5. Krokholman Island

Where: North Atlantic, near Bodø, Norway
Asking Price: $1,292,000 (1 million euros)
Acreage: 74 acres

Offshore retreat? Heck, this is an offshore town. The property features nine buildings including a restaurant, pub, conference center, marina, boathouses, and a hot tub. Price also includes several boats, an all-terrain vehicle for getting around the island, fishing and hunting gear, and a clay-pigeon set-up for shooting. The Gulf Stream keeps the climate here mild, despite its location in northern Norway.

6. Watch Island

Place: St. Lawrence Seaway, near Clayton, NY
Asking Price: $1,950,000
Acreage: 1.3
Developed

There are more than 1,400 islands in the Thousand Island region of upstate New York. But few of them come with a 6,500-square-foot mansion — ten bedrooms, four bathrooms, plus a boat house and dock. About an hour-and-a-half drive from either Syracuse or Montreal.

7. Little Hog Cay

Place: Near Abacos, Northern Bahamas
Asking Price: $1,950,000
Acreage: 25
Partially developed

Notice the lagoon that separates the west side of the island from the east. On the west side sits a studio home and a guest cabana with an electric generator. The east side is undeveloped. Marina and airstrip are a 15-minute boat ride away, on the main island of Abacos.

8. Horse Island

Place: Long Island Sound, in Guilford, Conn.
Asking Price: $2,500,000
Acreage: 0.75
Developed

Less than 2.5 hours from Manhattan, and at low tide, a short walk to the shore. The cottage has electric, city water, a septic field, and four bedrooms. The property also comes with two Boston Whalers, a Sunfish, a windsurfing vessel, and a kayak.

9. Cove Island

Place: Howe Sound, British Columbia, between Whistler and Vancouver
Asking Price: $2,950,000
Acreage: 5
Developed

A 30-minute boat ride from the city of Vancouver, this island is up for sale to developers, with an approved subdvision plan.

10. Summer Hill Island

Place: Lake Glenville, western North Carolina
Asking Price: $3,450,000
Acreage: 4.6
Developed

Located on a 1,500-acre lake in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains, this island has a four-bedroom, four-bathroom house hidden by the forest canopy. It features a gourmet kitchen, antique pine floors, and covered decks that lead to a private dock. Asheville is an hour away. Atlanta is about a two-and-a-half-hour drive away.

11. Taylor Island

Place: Patuxent River, near Solomons, Maryland
Asking Price: $3,500,000
Acreage: 4.5
Developed

It has a 2,500-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bathroom main house, with pool and hot tub. Then there’s a 1,400-square-foot guest cottage. Finally, a two-story observatory tower built to resemble a lighthouse, with a kitchenette, shower, and spa. The island is connected to the mainland by a gated wooden bridge. The Patuxent River meets the Chesapeake Bay four miles to the east.

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