My wife and I would sometimes argue about her incessant and, in my opinion, unnecessary need to be always prepared like a girl scout. I would tease her about her oversized bag which contains things like stapler, scotch tape, and a plastic bag or two. She would always just shrug and say that it is better to be prepared than find yourself lacking.

This habit is not limited to her personal effects. She has equipped our home with numerous items like four water-filled drums (when we never run out of water), 3 small fire extinguishers and even had a fireproof home safe installed in my home office. I’ve always patronized her excessiveness until we had a small fire in my home office last year. The four water-filled drums came in very handy as my wife took care of small fires with her small fire extinguisher. By the time we were able to put out the fire, my home office was wiped out and the only thing left standing was the fireproof home safe that contained all our important documents. It’s a good thing that the fire did not spread throughout the house and nobody was harmed. It really pays to be prepared and I am so thankful that I have a girl-scout wife.

I have a home office where I spend most of my time finishing up business presentations and reports. My adorable 7-year-old son loves to stick around and watch me work. I don’t mind at all because he’s always quiet and I get to spend a little extra time with him.

One night, after securing my files in the fireproof safe, my son suddenly asks me what I was doing. I told him that when you want to keep something important to you secure, you should put it inside a safe like ours. The next day, I left my son for a few minutes in the home office and, when I got back, I noticed that he was staring at the fireproof safe. I wondered what he was doing when I caught a glimpse of something brown and furry inside the safe! Right on the very top of my important papers was my son’s teddy bear! My son just smiled and said, “Daddy, Teddy is safe now, too!

We associate the bar stool with a bar, but that is not the only use for this ubiquitous seating piece of furniture. Breakfast bar stools are commonly used along kitchen counters for light meals and a quick get-away. It works just as well in the bedroom, as a dresser stool. It is great to have in the garage and any work area. Some stools can be stacked so it is not a problem to have quite a number of them for occasions when quite a number of guests are expected in the home.

Bar stools are usually taller than normal so it is specially designed to have a footrest somewhere between the stool and the floor. Most are made of metal or wood. Designs vary from the backless or with a backrest; some are steady while others have the capacity to swivel. Designs actually range from the very basic wooden structure to the very modern. This contemporary bar stool, for example, is made wood and chrome. The seat is adjustable with a hydraulic pump.

My sister is very fond of meeting new people whether online or in person. Last Christmas, she told me that a friend of hers is coming over to our house and he’s from Germany. Apparently, she has been in correspondence with him for about a year now and he wants to meet up. Philipp is coming over for dinner on Christmas eve and would like to experience how Christmas was really celebrated.

Philippe arrived a few hours before the dinner. He wanted to help out. So, we gave him some tasks to do and he did all them exceptionally well and with a lot of time to spare. So, he was able to play a short front yard touch football with the neighbors and some friends. After which, we offered him a room to rest in and freshen up a little. We all had a wonderful time despite having a little difficulty with the language barrier. At the end of the night, before Philipp left to go back to his hotel, he brought out a few packages as gifts for all of us. He gave us differently but beautifully designed 8 day carved cuckoo clocks from Germany. What a generous man!

Lights or lighting is one of the many luxuries that we enjoy today. There are different designs, wattage, functions and the like. In fact, turning on the lights are made even more convenient with innovations such as clappers, dimmers and touch lamps. Clappers turn on and off with the sound that is made when you put your hands together. This is very convenient when you’re already relaxed in bed and do not want to stand up again to turn off the lights. Dimmers are greatly appreciated for creating a more intimate ambiance such for romantic settings or stage lighting effects.

Touch lamps are turned on and off by human touch rather than a flip, pushbutton, or other mechanical switch. These are more popular as desk lamps or night lamps and even have different degrees of light strength. Children enjoy having these kind of lamps, like unicorn or dolphin touch lamp by their bedside table as you wean them out of being afraid of the dark. I wonder what kind of lighting innovation will man think of next.

Home fixtures have become very creative in design and features while remaining efficiently functional. Designers of bathroom sinks have especially outdone themselves. Just by installing a modern bathroom sink, the room is immediate revitalized. They are usually installed in a counter but can be free standing as well. There will be a fitting design for spaces of different characteristics.

The white porcelain sink is the most common and least expensive. Porcelain sinks are made more interesting with the enhancement of painted motifs and bold colors. The results are custom designs that fit the theme of the bathroom. Lately, bowls of different materials have come to the market. Glass sink bowls in varying colors and textures are new additions to the line-up.

Add an element of style to your kitchen or dining area. Put up a mini bar with seating that are easy to clean and come in an attractive style. Order a customized logo bar stool set to make seating more special. It is simple to order stools with designs of your choice.

Order stools that are well-upholstered to provide comfort and style. Well-built seating will cradle your guests in luxury. Have fun with friends and family after dinner with some nightcaps. Swap stories around the bar while lounging around on your comfy bar stools that will last for years to come.

The guest room in our house is located in the attic. It is a quaint and attractive room that our visitors always fall in love with. I had it decorated in pastel colors to make the ambience light and airy. I make sure that the windows are always kept clean to bring in lots of light during the day.

When the guest room is going to be unoccupied for long periods of time, I protect the bed with an Egyptian cotton duvet cover. This keeps dust from settling on the mattress, quilt, and pillows. Having the cover is very convenient because I only have to remove it and fluff the bedding when guests come calling again.

Buying new pillows is almost like a ritual. You take them home and cut off the labels; this will avoid the discomfort of the label scratching your face or nape. Of course you do this after going through the washing instructions. Some people keep the labels in case they need to refer to it in the future. You then put on pillow protectors. Then finally you slip them into decorative pillow cases.

Pillow protectors are zippered cases in plain material that provides additional protection against dirt and oil. They are usually bought ready to use and are in the same sizes as pillows. Just like pillow cases, they come in different materials of various qualities that carry with them a wide range of prices. There are those who skip the use of pillow protectors. But pillow protectors are useful in that they lessen the need for pillow cleaning.

It is time for New Year’s resolutions. Mine is to be kinder to the environment in little ways that I can. It is a good thing that the heater in the bathroom opted to give up towards the end of the year. That meant being replaced with a unit that is more energy friendly. I guess I’m off to a good start in meeting my resolution.

But there are other things that I plan to do, particularly in the kitchen. One is to use less paper towels and foil or plastic wraps. I will wipe spills with rags instead. I really don’t need a change in my bed sheets, but when I do I will go for bamboo sheet sets. They come from sustainable plants that will be a big help to the environment.