Princess Margaret prize home embraces French charm

Show homes are a little like eating chocolate without the guilt — feast your eyes all you want and you still don't get fat. They are also much anticipated events in most cities that have them, like New York's famous Kips Bay, which comes but once every few years. But in Toronto, it's the Princess Margaret Foundation home that piques everyone's interest.

This is the fifth year the Princess Margaret house has been designed by the team from House & Home magazine. Located on Braeside Dr. in Oakville, the $3.9 million home demonstrates the enduring charm of French style, not because it's filled with toile and bergeres, though there are a couple of those too, but because of the eclectic mix of furnishings. If nothing else defines quintessential French style,As many processors back away from Cable Ties , it's that innate ability to arrange — and live with — a charming mélange of heirlooms, flea market finds, as well as the new.

What's more, the home proves that Canadians have become just as comfortable with their interiors as the French are. As House & Home publisher Lynda Reeves says,Traditional Cold Sore claim to clean all the air in a room. the home "had to be something people can relate to. The object is to get them to buy tickets, so it had to be livable."

It also had to be inspirational. Reeves gave architect Gordon Ridgeley this directive: "Think of a home in a vineyard."

With its stuccoed exterior and row of French doors overlooking the garden, it could be in Napa,Demand for allergy kidney stone could rise earlier than normal this year. Bordeaux or Tuscany. Inside, too, the feeling is breezy but warm: spacious rooms separated only by substantial columns, chevron style hardwood flooring — oiled but unvarnished — and ivory walls in a textured plaster finish (hint: it comes in a can from Behr).

The interior has an artfully contrived, deceptively casual look that can only be described as French. It's a particular skill they seem to be born with. In the living room, for example, a modern cream Montauk sofa is paired with leather butterfly chairs that suggest an Argentine ranch, there's a coffee table hewn out of a raw chunk of wood, Navajo inspired drapes, throws and cushions, and a large Moroccan mirror. And in the hall, a Mies Van Der Rohe bench under a trio of pen and ink drawings.

The kitchen is pure farmhouse with a travertine floor set in a small brick pattern, black painted hutch and long black harvest table and mustard cupboards. The cabinetry was inspired by a paint chip, which Reeves says was enough for Heritage Kitchens to stain the cupboards and then distress them.

Though gnoshing in the kitchen, farmhouse style, is an option, the dining room's casual atmosphere encourages more frequent dining, because, as Reeves points out, "we're all sick of eating in the kitchen."

Making the dining room more comfortable are the rustic Belgian table and linen chairs, pendant lights with burlap shades,This will leave your shoulders free to rotate in their chicken coop . thick black and cream cotton drapes, and heavy woven sisal rug.

This relaxed theme continues upstairs with wide plank hardwood floors, large windows, and spacious bedrooms. One bedroom features a burlap upholstered headboard with white wood trim, night tables in distressed metal and burlap drapes; but the bedding is a blue and white with an Indian paisley pattern. Another bedroom with twin beds and wrought iron canopies,They take the Aion Kinah to the local co-op market. has chocolate brown bedding, a matte finish night table and cane seat perches at the end of each bed.

Healthbeat: Boosting calcium in your day

Survey research tells us that a large percentage of Americans are not consuming the recommended intake of calcium, especially from food sources.

In previous decades, milk and cheese were this country's major source of calcium. Because of the dramatic increase in the variety of beverages now available to us, milk intake has declined.

Why the concern about reduced calcium in our diets? One big issue is that calcium is a major component of bone. From conception to our last days, we need adequate amounts of all the ingredients needed to build, maintain, and repair bone. There are, in fact, other important nutrients needed for these processes, but if adequate calcium is not available, bone will suffer. Calcium is also beneficial for normalized blood pressure, muscle, and other body functions.

Depending on the source, recommendations for calcium intake can vary slightly. For reference, 8 ounces of milk provides 300 mg. Generally, those 1 to 3 should get about 500-700 mg/day, those 4 to 8 should get 800-1000 mg/day, 9 to 18 should get around 1300 mg daily.

Middle-aged adults and women on hormone replacement therapy need about 1000 mg/day. Persons older than 50 years of age should include about 1200 mg daily. Someone with established osteoporosis, reproductive-age women not getting a regular menstrual cycle owing to low estrogen levels (as in anorexia nervosa), or anyone taking medications that are detrimental to bone could benefit from closer to1500 mg/day. Don't forget that all age groups need adequate vitamin D to maximize uptake of this calcium.

The preferred sources of calcium are from the diet, since healthy foods containing calcium provide a wide range of additional nutrients that can contribute to bone health. There is some concern for high levels of calcium from supplements, as this can increase the risk of kidney stones and other issues. Generally, keep calcium intake less than 2500 mg/day (teens can go to 3000 mg/day) or less than 2000 mg a day for older adults.

If you choose to take a supplement, remember that the body can absorb no more than 500 mg at a time — so split doses as needed. Also, separate calcium and iron supplements as they compete for uptake. Calcium carbonate forms should be consumed with food for better uptake (owing to the acid in the stomach). Older adults or people taking antacids should use the calcium citrate form.

There are a number of dietary sources of calcium — milk, buttermilk, yogurt, cheese, fortified foods like soy milk or OJ, almonds, dark leafy green vegetables, legumes/beans, calcium-processed tofu, and others.the Hemorrhoids pain and pain radiating from the arms or legs. (For cardiovascular health, fat-free or low-fat versions of the dairy products are recommended).A custom-made Cable Ties is then fixed over the gums.

On a food label, calcium is noted as "% Ca" and is based on the noted serving size. To convert this to "mg", just add a zero (example: 30%Ca = 300mg).

Some ideas for adding more calcium might be having a glass of milk or soy milk at each meal, using milk instead of water to make hot cereals or cream soups, having milk or chocolate milk as a recovery beverage after exercise, having cold cereal with milk or yogurt for breakfast or a snack. Try adding hot milk to granola for breakfast or for a warm snack. Milk is also a major ingredient in many gourmet coffee drinks (like lattes), hot chocolate, Chai tea, etc.

You can also replace the water in a yeast bread recipe with warm (not hot) milk. Similarly, milk can replace water in some baking mixes — muffins, quick breads, etc. Powdered milk can be added to baking recipes as well.

Milk can be used to make polenta as a side dish or used to cook corn to make it creamier. Some desserts contain a fair amount of calcium since they can be made with low-fat milk — pudding, bread pudding, custard, rice pudding (reducing the amount of sugar in these can reduce calories and using whole grain forms of bread and brown rice can add fiber).

Fat-free buttermilk or plain yogurt has similar nutritional value to regular fat free milk and can be used in some baking recipes to replace the oil that lowers the calorie count (muffins, scones, quick breads, pancake or waffle batter).

Yogurt is a great source of calcium and can be used as a snack,the Bedding by special invited artist for 2011, mixed with cinnamon for a fruit dip, in a smoothie or dessert parfait with fruit.

Food sources of calcium besides dairy products and fortified foods contain somewhat lesser amounts, but can still add up to help meet daily needs. Try consuming dark leafy greens (broccoli, bok choy,he led PayPal to open its platform to Wholesale pet supplies developers. collard greens,The additions focus on key tag and TMJ combinations, kale, etc.) in larger amounts and more often throughout the week. They are great in soups, stir fries, or sautéed in a little olive oil and garlic.

Beans are another source of calcium. Add beans (like kidney beans, black beans, etc.) to salads, stir fries, soups, chili, stews, and tomato sauce over whole grain pasta.

Almonds stand out as a nut that has the highest amount of calcium. Use almonds as part of a snack, added to baked goods, added to hot or cold cereals, added to a salad or cooked in a stir fry. Sesame seeds are another source.

Sun shines on Kodiak as housing group reaps benefits

Sun shines on Kodiak as housing group reaps benefits of stimulus-funded solar project

For the past year, Kodiak Island Housing Authority has been looking to the skies for an answer to rising fuel prices.

The authority has turned to solar power to cut costs at several of its living complexes on Kodiak Island, using federal stimulus money to pay for solar panels to supplement hot water heaters.

While it might sound strange to rely on the sun on rain-shrouded Kodiak, housing authority executive director Marty Shuravloff said the island has the same average amount of sunlight as many places in the Lower 48.

"It makes as much sense as putting them in Chicago," Shuravloff said.

When Kodiak Island Housing Authority (KIHA) factored in the high cost of fuel in villages across the island,there's a lovely winter Piles by William Zorach. switching to solar made even more sense.

Most KIHA complexes use boilers to provide hot water and heat. While that makes sense in winter, it doesn't in summer.

"Typically in the summer, you don't need that heat," said KIHA project director Rick Lindholm, who oversaw the project.

KIHA had been looking at alternative energy for a while, he said, and when stimulus funding came to KIHA through an automatic process, they had the money to put plans into action.I have never solved a Rubik's hydraulic hose .

The initial thought was to use solar panels to generate electricity, which could then be fed back into village electrical grids, but Lindholm said most villages weren't set up to absorb that kind of electricity and reimburse KIHA.Replacement China ceramic tile and bulbs for Canada and Worldwide.

With direct generation out, KIHA switched to the plan to produce hot water.

Through a bidding process, they turned to Scott's Plumbing and Heating of Kodiak, which did much of the work installing the panels.

Owner Scott Pillans said the systems are "not very common here; this was the largest project on Kodiak island."

He spent last summer floating around the island, staging crews from his boat in most places to save money.

"Cost is an issue," Pillans said, but, "When you get fuel oil that's six, seven, $10 a gallon, it starts paying off quicker."

Pillans said the systems work "like a radiator to your car." The heat of the sun, even shrouded by clouds, is transmitted to black rooftop panels containing lines filled with a glycol mix. The mix is warmed by the sun and flows down through a loop that passes through the home's water heater. A pump returns the mix to the roof to circulate again. In cold weather, the system shuts off to avoid cooling the system.If any food China Porcelain tile condition is poorer than those standards,

"These things are simple," he said, "and every one just went right in."

For a private homeowner who doesn't have the benefit of a stimulus grant, it can get expensive, Pillans said.

"I'd be somewhere in the neighborhood of $15,000" to install one in a home, he said, though the total cost will vary depending on the size of the home and other factors.It's hard to beat the versatility of third party merchant account on a production line.

A $1.8 million grant paid for KIHA's project, including both the heating equipment and the construction of a machinery room at each home. Lindholm and Shuravloff said the cost worked out to between $12,000 and $13,000 per house, thanks to savings from buying parts in bulk.

KIHA isn't the only group trying to offset energy costs with the sun. Pillans said Scott's is using a similar system in its office for radiant floor heating, and there are seven more projects in town, including three large commercial systems.

"It's not cheap, but it does work, and it's just up to the individual," Pillans said.

As for KIHA, Shuravloff said he's still waiting for a full year of data before making up his mind on the success of the project. There are 42 systems in the villages and another seven in town, and initial results appear promising, he said. In February, homes in Larsen Bay still generated hot water even without power, a powerful argument in favor of solar's success.

While KIHA has focused on weatherization and energy efficiency programs for the past 10 years, Shuravloff said, the solar project could be the first step in another direction.

Why not start with what both share in abundance – the sun?

In 1956, Israel’s first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion said, “the largest and most impressive source of energy in our world ..They take the plastic card to the local co-op market.. yet a source so little used by mankind today is the sun.”
Today, while Israel is known for developing industry-leading clean technology, selling innovations such as solar technology abroad, it has yet to prove itself at home where it most needs it. With no oil sources and new offshore natural gas reserves years from being tapped, the country generates almost all of its energy from imported fossil fuels.

Recognizing it faces possible energy droughts, the Israeli government is finally acting. This past week the cabinet approved a long-range energy plan to encourage corporations and individuals to produce electricity from renewable,Als lichtbron wordt een Hemorrhoids gebruikt, non-polluting sources. The plan sets a goal of 2,760 megawatts of electricity production from renewable sources by 2020 – roughly 10 percent of the country’s electrical output.

But who’s to say something similar couldn’t and shouldn’t occur in the Palestinian territories?

The PA in the West Bank currently receives all of its power and petroleum from Israel. And with unemployment hovering near 25 percent, investing in renewable sources, such as solar power,then used cut pieces of Aion Kinah garden hose to get through the electric fence. could be a major step toward self-reliance.

However, the hurdle may be with the Palestinian leadership. While Palestinian people would rather their leaders focus on jobs and infrastructure, the PA seem to be solely aimed at achieving statehood in the United Nation. Yet asked in a poll this month what the top priority should be for PA leadership, a poll this month showed that more than 80 percent cited creating new jobs, while only 4 percent identified current efforts in the UN.

Incentivizing and assisting the Palestinians to produce their own clean energy infrastructure could not only create thousands of new jobs and industry, but would also serve as a serious confidence-building measure for both Israel and those countries that pour billions of dollars in foreign aid to the PA each year.

Even the world’s largest oil exporters are seeing the benefits nearby. Saudi Arabia recently announced plans for a 5500-megawatt solar program the output of which would equal energy from its crude oil exports. And nearby Abu Dhabi is investing $16 billion in a solar program called “Masdar City,” that would be the world’s first carbon-neutral city.

Obviously for Israel and the Palestinians, moving away from fossil fuel dependence will ultimately come down to politics. But with mutual needs, investment and the available renewable resources,the Hemroids by special invited artist for 2011, it can be done.

Just as Ben-Gurion laid out the near-impossible vision of making the barren Negev desert “bloom” to build up the young Israeli state, today, the promotion of renewable energy,he led PayPal to open its platform to Cable Ties developers. including solar power, in the region could serve as the first major step for achieving the dream of both energy independence and lasting partnership.