#worked perfectly 0 knocks several children!

[hazard-and-friends]

yesterday’s seasonal decor

[gizkasparadise]

kdrama rec/review: bridal mask

KDRAMA AND CDRAMA MASTER LIST OF REVIEWS

Series: bridal mask / gaksital Episodes: 28 Genres: historical, action, drama, romance, tragedy, people screaming each others’ names in all capital letters 2006 anime style Spoilers in the Rec: im going to try to avoid them. im really, really going to try. but no guarantees If You Like, You’ll Like: zorro, robin hood, v for vendetta, chicago typewriter, vigilante shit, kate beaton comics on My Nemesis, mr sunshine, watching people become progressively unhinged, bad guys that become good guys, good guys that become bad guys, Parallel Narratives, cat and mouse games but they’re both cats, 2010 hair in a 1930s world, people in a room together internally thinking does he know that i know that he knows?

Rank: 9.5/10

GAKSITALLLLLLLLLLLLLL PREMISE

set during the japanese occupation of korea in the 1930s, bridal mask centers on lee kangto, an absolute shit weasel. like. good god, what an asshole. anyways.

kangto is a korean police officer who is employed by the japanese--meaning he’s essentially a rat/turncoat to his own people and supporting their colonization and abuse of power. it’s especially fucked up because kangto’s older brother was tortured so much by japanese police officers that he’s essentially lost his mind. people hate kangto. straight up hate him. 

as a lieutenant in the imperial police, kangto’s been working to catch members of the korean resistance movement, but left and right he’s been thwarted by...

THE BRIDAL MASK (gaksital in korean)

a mysterious figure who wears a mask resembling a korean bride’s traditional makeup. bridal mask is essentially zorro, fucking up shit left and right and generally making kangto lose his shit. he makes it his goal to be the one to apprehend and arrest this mysterious figure. seems straightforward, but as kangto’s search for the bridal mask continues, and the people around him are drawn into the hunt, it’s clear that shit’s not what it seems.

MAIN CHARACTERS

lee kangto/sato hiroshi/lee young

a korean man who works for the japanese as a police officer. 0% approval rating from the koreans and maybe a 5% approval rating from the japanese. kangto’s initial goals for joining the police force were to help his family get out of poverty, but his morality’s been cha-cha sliding progressively darker the longer he works for the police force. he becomes obsessed with catching the bridal mask and everyone would like him to really quit being an asshole but he will not.

catch phrase is bingo! takes over the nightclub stage when he’s feeling swaggy. would shoot the love interest. shoots pretty much anyone wearing a mask, really, then yells about it

oh mok dan / mild spoiler: esther / spoiler: boon yi

a patriotic korean woman associated with the independence army, mok dan commits acts of subterfuge and gathers intel against the japanese forces. her day job is a performer at a circus, where she lives and hides out from japanese officials whenever shit goes awry. when lee kangto sees her getting saved by bridal mask, he assumes she’s the bridal mask’s lover and therefore intends to use mok dan as The Bait. mild spoilers it turns out she was once childhood friends with lee kangto’s best friend, kimura shunji 

wears many amazing suits. has no problem with spitting or shooting. fears no boxes. can take a punch or 5. basically my dream girl it’s fine

kimura shunji

a japanese man and kangto’s best friend. coming from a family of influential, imperialist asshole samurai cops, shunji is the black sheep as he works as a music teacher for korean children, and is generally against the corruption and abuse of power when he sees it. basically the only one kangto’s never a straight up asshole to, including his family. the two practice what appears to be kendo together (i know jack shit about martial arts), and shunji’s a capable fighter. my default is to assume shunji is everyone’s favorite character, because he is my favorite character :’D, but if not i think he’s definitely the most compelling in the series.

wears bowties when he wants to dress to impress. rides bicycles both happily and tragically. has a thing for a childhood friend who saved his nanny. will give you a ride home after you’ve been tortured. save this man from his family. 

ueno rie/ra ra/ spoiler: chae hong joo

a korean woman from a rich family that was murdered by the independence army who later became a gisaeng. as a gisaeng, she crosses paths with a very important japanese man who later adopts her into his family. because the japanese police keep fucking up the apprehension of bridal mask, her adoptive father calls her to korea from japan in order to kill the vigilante

stealth fave?! will step all over you and makes grown men cry. hyper competent and hardcore. bridal mask’s best dressed (try again with the bow ties next year, shunji). men are weak

the bridal mask GAKSITAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the mysterious figure either ruining or making everyone’s day. dramatic horse escapes. dramatic rescues. generally just drama. symbolically destroys japanese flags/insignia a lot. GAKSITAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SOME SUPPORT CHARACTERS SELECTED BY HOW MUCH THEY ARE MY FAVORITES 

mok damsari

mok dan’s father and a general in the independence army. v good at being rescued dramatically. knows how to make an exit and also bombs. dispenses life wisdom when he’s got free time in between rounds of being torture

lee kang san

kang to’s older brother, who joined the independence army and was tortured by the japanese police to the extent that he’s now lost his mind/severely mentally ill. dude just needs a hug or 20 and to never chase after a car ever, ever again because it makes me sad.

katsuyama jun

ueno rie’s bodyguard, which is amusing to me because she can clearly kill anyone she needs to, so it’s kind of like he’s a butler as well. stoic af, says maybe 20 lines in the entire series, but look, he’s cool

i dont like any of the japanese police officers because they’re dicks so they don’t get a feature :| 

Drawbacks

the production value is something you gotta settle into LOL. there’s the cheesy martial arts sound effects, sometimes it skews a little narmy, but once you get used to it and once the show gets progressively darker (and how) you adjust and then don’t notice it

my main #1 beef: mok dan starts to disappear in the last fourth of the series. like she’s still there, but she’s doing bullshit like making soup and just sitting at a table with nothing to say. as a character that’s so important in the first half, it’s severely disappointing the route that her narrative takes toward the end/she does become something of a satellite character even though i still love her

there are main character deaths--more than one. some people would say the ending is bittersweet but to me i think it’s straight-up sad (which is fine with me/appropriate for the story, i just know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea)

there’s torture and for the most part it’s shown / it’s not off-camera

shit gets dark. the first handful of eps might lull one into thinking is something like zorro or robin hood, but there’s a lot of fuckery and death by the time you get to the end

Reasons to Watch

i mean, it’s fun! which is a messed up thing to say about a dark show, but there’s a lot of twists and the show’s an extended game of cat-and-mouse that’s a good time because the audience knows certain things but the main characters don’t. the drama of it all!

Now That’s What I Call Character Arcs. kang to + shunji’s respective character arcs are amazing and are referred to as the best part of the show for a reason. you’ll hate and love them both throughout the series and it’s great. shunji was my favorite

i love both the female leads a lot. they’re totally different in personality and the sides that they’re on, but they’re both compelling and they have their own troubles and goals to work through 

one of the main characters looks around the chaos happening and decides to just fucking leave all these people behind forever lmao i love it

acting is great! some people knock on mok dan’s actress but i thought she was perfectly fine for the character 

i’ll admit, i’m into characters who become progressively unhinged and the actor who plays the character who does is so so A+

there’s romance but gd does it get dark sometimes. this is a plus or a minus depending on who you are lol

Final Thoughts.

[hammondfamilydentistry]

How Family Dental Services Can Help You Stay In A Good Oral Health

As a child I didn't have the experience many of my peers had with going to the dentist. Back then there were no specialty pediatric dentists; I went to the regular dentist with all the other patients. Fortunately, I had great experiences with the dentist and did not develop a fear of the dentist. This has served me well as an adult. I have taken good care of my teeth with regular maintenance check-ups and cleanings every six months. I cannot say the same for many of my peers, who were terrified of going to the dentist as a child and they have suffered with poor dental hygiene as adults.

FB: https://www.facebook.com/BadeDDSOfficial/

According to family dentistry at Hammond sealant is a right choice to the children. Applying sealant is not a very difficult task. There is no need to drill their teeth. At first teeth are well rinsed and dried up. After that one type of gel is used on the surface of the teeth. Then they are washed of perfectly. When they get dry, the dentist will paint the teeth so that they may not suffer from further decay. It is a matter of minutes. Then a proactive sealant is form to protect their teeth.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MBadeDDS

At first the neighboring crowns will be prepared for dental bridge. The enamel of the crown will be removed slightly so that dental bridge can be placed. Several impressions will be taken for setting the false tooth properly. Sometimes, Wax is use to make a dummy first. A temporary bridge will be set up before the permanent one. Then this will be removed and the permanent bridge will be set. Your dentist will watch on the fitting, color and contour of your tooth. Then your dentist will check your bite to examine whether it is setup properly or not. If it is found okay, it will be cemented permanently in right place.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/13440915/

Start seeking experts whenever you think your dental coverage may not work for you. A dental practitioner devoted to family dentist hammond can be a wise option when you have a family and kids. This can be much more helpful because you will simply have to go to one dental clinic and visit one dental practitioner to have everyone's oral health handled.Implant Dentistry: Life throws curveballs. Sometimes you get out of the way in time, and sometimes those curveballs knock out your teeth. Literally. Scientists haven't learned how to regrow teeth naturally, but Dr. Alex offers services in implant family dentist hammond, one of the best options for tooth replacement. An appointment with him will leave you smiling brighter and fuller than ever.

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/badedds/

Many dental visits include a group of x-rays. Your child could be scared of getting an xray, or they could be captivated by the idea of taking a picture of the interior of their teeth and be completely cooperative. Your kid's body will be covered with a lead apron to limit exposure during the procedure.If you are in Hammond IN and looking for a good dentist you can turn to for your dental health protection, consider yourself lucky. There are a lot of dentists in the said city who can help you with your dental health needs.When nature rules over your mouth, you could be sure that the pH level of the oral cavity is maintained at safe levels. This further ensures the maintenance of an atmosphere not amenable to cavities and dental caries. Xylitol is known to have a incremental effect on amino acids and ammonia in the saliva which, in turn, is known to be detrimental to plaque. This way, it acts against plaque. It has a negative effect on the growth of bacteria in the mouth; the formation of acids is deterred. This results in an overall reduction of plaque in the oral cavity.

G+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/100358256000007984247

[kidsviral-blog]

I Was Sure Freezing My Eggs Would Solve Everything

New Post has been published on https://kidsviral.info/i-was-sure-freezing-my-eggs-would-solve-everything/

I Was Sure Freezing My Eggs Would Solve Everything

When I was 35 and single in New York City, I was convinced I’d be alone forever. Undergoing a costly procedure to buy myself time seemed like the right choice.

View this image ›

Illustration by Kelsey King for BuzzFeed

I couldn’t tell you the exact moment I started thinking about whether I was going to be able to have kids, but it occurred sometime between February 2012, when the guy I’d been sort of dating for the past few months broke up with me, and May 2012, when I turned 35, because that is the age after which, as a single woman in New York City, everyone knows that no one will ever love you.

I knew, very, very, very deep down, that this wasn’t actually true — that in fact people found love and even had children after the age of 35, even in New York City — but it felt like this knowledge was a tiny little nugget of rationality that had been wrapped in duct tape and put in a steel box and locked with a code and launched into space, and was therefore inaccessible.

Also, I had — have — never been pregnant, so there was a part of me that was convinced that something was deeply wrong with my ovaries; in 15 or so years of having sex, I’d only twice been worried enough about a broken condom or a failure to pull out to take Plan B. I told myself that if I weren’t infertile, there would have been at least one abortion in there, and secretly envied my friends who’d had abortions, because at least they knew that they could get pregnant.

Dating got weird. I didn’t really want to be dating in the first place — I was still thinking about the guy who’d dumped me in February, who I was still really sad about, to the extent that I cried during Savasana, and cried even harder when I realized I had become one of those women who cried at yoga. But the voice inside my head that told me, every morning and every night, that I was running out of time was the voice that put me on OkCupid and HowAboutWe, even though going on mediocre dates made me feel even worse. This was who was out there? And simultaneously: Could this be a person I want to create another human life with?

What I really needed was time. Time would allow me to meet people without the added pressure of trying to figure out, within five minutes of meeting them, whether we would make a nice, normal baby. Then I saw an article about egg freezing that said it was becoming SAFER AND MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN EVER BEFORE!!!!!!!! — or at least that was what I gleaned from it — and I thought, Time. This will give me time. I made an appointment.

View this image ›

You could say that I panicked, and you would not be completely wrong. But I got spoiled in my late twenties and early thirties because I usually had a boyfriend, which meant I always had a wedding date. But after I broke up with a Serious Boyfriend, aka the one I thought was maybe The One even though I outwardly scoffed at the notion that there was such a thing as The One — maybe One of Several Potential Ones? But enough of A Potential One that we moved in together, and our families met each other, and he told me about the monstrous 6-carat diamond he and his brother were supposed to split with their intendeds (I pictured a man in a yarmulke on 47th Street cutting it precisely in half with a laser) — I was suddenly, at 33, the Single Friend, because I was never dating anyone for long enough that they would be a potential wedding guest. But I had never been the only single person at a table of couples, or had to have the awkward conversation with the only single guy at the wedding, the guy who was surprisingly handsome and sweet but who turned out to be going through a nasty divorce, was a deeply religious Christian, had two children, and lived in Maine, and yet made me think, Well, this could work.

I distanced myself from my friends who got married, mostly because it felt like a reminder of my own personal failure. I was unapologetic about the selfishness of this stance, as I was about the selfishness of allowing myself in general to be selfish. I got off OkCupid and told my friends that even though I was 99% sure I would never have sex again, it also felt liberating to be alone, to never have to think about anyone else’s needs or fears. Then again, that also meant I was only ever listening to my own.

View this image ›

Illustration by Kelsey King for BuzzFeed

In my twenties, I felt like the shared experience of struggle comes with it the shared experience of possibility, and possibility is still exciting. Every choice doesn’t portend a monumental, potentially life-altering result; it seems like the Choose Your Own Adventure book still has many potential endings. In my thirties, though, choices started to feel overwhelming, each one pushing me farther down a specific path beyond which there was no turning back. I started to see the appeal of religion — never to have to make any decisions! There was, I realized, freedom in that too.

I told my therapist that I was considering freezing my eggs, and she said she thought it was a good idea if it would alleviate some of the anxiety I felt about dating, and I said it would but it would also cause me a different kind of anxiety because it was so expensive in New York City — thousands of dollars in tests, then thousands of dollars for the drugs to stimulate egg maturation, then thousands of dollars for the extraction of the eggs. All told I would be looking at close to $15,000 to buy myself a few years of reduced anxiety, plus $2,000 or so each year to keep them frozen. I told myself it could be amortized over, say, five years and then it didn’t seem so bad. Still, I needed to come up with the money, so I cashed in a couple of 401(k)s from short stints at other jobs that had a couple thousands dollars in them each, and put a freelance check in my savings account, and figured I would charge the rest.

I also had the idea that egg freezing was basically foolproof; I’d get the eggs, and a couple years later, when I decided I was ready to have kids, I’d just knock on the door of the ol’ fertility clinic and they’d stick some more needles in me and voilà, babies. It turns out, according to the fertility doctor I met with, who had the genial, slightly condescending “I know what’s best for you” air of a good salesman, that egg freezing has only a 40% success rate. He must have seen the disappointed look on my face because he assured me that that was in fact at least double what it would be out in the wild, and if I waited a few more years, my fertility would drop precipitously. He drew a crude representation of this on a sheet of paper as we talked, and I swore I could feel it dropping even more.

Still, 40% sounded better than 0% or even 20%, so I had him take blood and do an ultrasound, and it turned out that I had eggs, I was healthy, it would be fine. I had eggs to freeze.

It would be fine. I would be fine.

View this image ›

Still, there were moments of deep, and scary, loneliness. Sometimes I tried to tell myself that these moments were somehow making me a stronger person, but at other times I thought, Fuck being a stronger person — where is the joy in being a stronger person? When Hurricane Sandy happened, I sat on my couch in my apartment in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, and the wind and rain scared me less than the feeling that I was really alone, that I could have been one of those people on Staten Island who drowned in their houses whose bodies weren’t discovered for days.

After a couple days I made my way to Chelsea, where I usually volunteered once a week walking an old disabled woman’s dog, to see if she was OK because she wasn’t picking up her phone, and she was sitting in her apartment in the dark with the dog. Everything smelled bad, but she seemed to be in relatively good spirits, and I walked the dog and came back and gave her my flashlight, and then she asked me, in the voice of the truly lonely, when I was coming back.

View this image ›

I didn’t tell many people I was planning on freezing my eggs — it was a private thing, the world didn’t need to know. But I think what I really feared was the momentary flash of pity in their eyes before they told me what a good idea they thought it was. I saw that flash — or at least, I thought I saw it — in the eyes of the few close friends that I did tell, the ones who told me they admired what I was doing and empathized with how much it sucked that the biological clock was so real and how much it sucked that it was so expensive and how much it all, well, sucked.

I called the fertility clinic and told them I wanted to do it in February 2013— you had to sign up a couple months in advance, and I was going to L.A. for most of January for work — and they told me to come in for a final round of tests and an orientation session where a nurse would go over everything. At the session, I sat around a conference room table with four other women; we each had folders in front of us with various documents and brochures. Everything had to be executed perfectly: You had to pick up the drugs at one of only a few pharmacies in the city that stocked them, and they suggested buying only a batch at a time because they had to be kept in the fridge and they cost thousands of dollars and you didn’t want them to go bad. Then there was a whole timed, two-week regimen of injecting yourself with hormones — everyone had a different drug cocktail prescribed for them, scribbled on a sheet of paper by our respective doctors at the practice, tailored to our age and, presumably, how fertile the tests had shown we were — and a schedule of when we had to come back to the office for more tests during the two-week window. They had us practice filling up the special syringes for one of the drugs, and one woman raised her hand and said she was afraid of needles, and could she hire a nurse to come to her apartment twice a day to inject her? (Yes, but it would be very expensive.) You weren’t allowed to exercise during the two weeks, and you might get bloated and be in pain a lot of the time, and could also be quite weepy, though the nurse, a very no-nonsense type, probably didn’t actually use the word “weepy.”

Then when the hormones had stimulated all your eggs to mature and release and you were ovulating, you’d come back to the office and one of the doctors would extract your eggs and freeze them, and we had to make sure we had someone who could pick us up, and I mentally ran down the friends I could count on to do this and came up with a couple potential candidates, and then momentarily felt sorry for myself that I didn’t have a boyfriend or husband to do this and then reminded myself that it was exactly because I didn’t have a boyfriend or husband that I was doing this in the first place and that in some convoluted way this would be something that would help me get a boyfriend or husband, and felt a little better.

The nurse told us the eggs were held at the clinic, and she assured us that it was not susceptible to flood or power failure; it was an NYU clinic and the NYU hospital had, famously, flooded and lost power during the hurricane and the patients had to be evacuated and I thought, No one would care about a cooler of eggs during a hurricane, now would they? Before I left, I signed the form that said in the event I no longer wanted my eggs, or I stopped paying for their storage, that I wanted them destroyed.

View this image ›

Illustration by Kelsey King for BuzzFeed

I spent most of January 2013 in Los Angeles for work, and when I tell the story of why I decided to move, I like to say that the abundance of the Pasadena Whole Foods was what finally put me over the top, which always gets a knowing laugh, particularly from anyone who has tried to buy produce at the Key Foods on Avenue A or waited in line in the rain outside the 14th Street Trader Joe’s just to get inside or visited the Union Square Whole Foods bunker on a Sunday afternoon and wanted to die. And certainly it was a factor, but so was a coffee meeting I had in L.A. with a friend of a colleague who wanted, I think, a job, although we ended up discussing dating in Los Angeles versus New York.

Dating, he said, was very hard in Los Angeles.

“Oh?” I said.

“Yeah,” he said. “It’s much harder than it was in New York. I mean, I was a guy in media in New York. It wasn’t exactly tough for me.”

I looked at this unremarkable man, and thought, Right. I’m sure it wasn’t.

View this image ›

The rest happened fast. I got back to New York and my boss agreed that moving to L.A. was a good idea, and then I was pricing out movers and looking at apartments online and getting excited about not having to buy a new winter coat, like, ever again. In the flurry of getting ready to move across the country, I almost forgot that I was supposed to be getting ready to ensure that my future self would have a 40% chance of artificially conceiving a child.

And then at the last possible moment, the day or so before I got my period, I decided I wasn’t going to go through with it.

It’s the most apt metaphor to say that I realized I was putting all my eggs, literally, in that particular basket, and I had imbued the idea of freezing my eggs with so much meaning that I expected to see all of my anxieties and fears about getting older and being single and dying alone to disappear instantly the second I went through with it.

But I also felt like if I went through with it, the eggs would be left behind in New York, in cold storage, in some petri dish or vial or however they preserve them, and I would be across the country. It would mean no clean break, no fresh start. I’d be actually leaving a part of myself 3,000 miles away, as though to keep just the most microscopic connection to my old life, and I wouldn’t get the clean break with all of those anxieties that I needed.

Instead, I set off for Los Angeles, not completely sure I was doing the right thing but also pretty sure I wasn’t doing the wrong one. I even thought that maybe, one day, I might find that duct-taped box I’d sent hurtling through space, the one I thought was definitely gone forever.

Read more: http://www.buzzfeed.com/doree/i-was-sure-freezing-my-eggs-would-solve-everything

[homeimprovementsone]

Six Home Improvements That Just Aren’t Worth It

As someone raised and born and central Indiana, I have been spoiled with real estate all my life. The first house we ever purchased (and we still possess as a rental property) set us back a whopping $102,500 and came with three bedrooms and 2 baths. Our house payment, and oh has been less than $700 per month!

Ever since that time, we bought a 2nd three-bedroom, two-bath leasing property for under $100,000, also our second house for $155,000 (that we sold later for $160,000).   Even our present residence, which we intend to reside in forever, just set us back $187,000. Before the housing market roared back into life — back in 2013, it’s around feet, also has been one of the very expensive homes in our community when we purchased it.

Home Upgrades and Repairs I Simply Won’t Make

Since we bought our house, we have put in a great deal of hard work to bring it up. We knocked out a wall to start up the downstairs floor plan, laid wood flooring (performing the bulk of the grunt work ourselves), and painted this place from the top to bottom.

We replaced several non-matching kitchen countertops that purchased new carpet for our upstairs made no sense, also re-stained our kitchen cabinets, that are 30 years old. In total, we have spent $20,000 upgrading our house over the four years we have lived here.

There’s plenty more to do, however, at a certain stage, you need to understand when to stop. While some updates are worthwhile since they truly increase the value and utility of your house, you need to understand where to draw the line — or risk over-improving and losing money in the long run.

While I am all about dolling up my primary residence, here are some repairs and upgrades I am not willing to make:

#1: Replacing Ugly Peel-and-Stick Floors

Had an interesting sense of style. When the master bathroom was remodeled by them, they chose flooring that looks great from a distance but insanely cheap. The strangest part about it, nevertheless, is the simple fact the floor pieces actually move sometimes since they are literally “glued” into the floor planks with adhesive.

But, do I take action? Not actually. The matter about our master bathroom — and the reason I won’t replace this flooring — is that it is not seen by anybody else. I can not think of a single person who has been aside from our children in our bedroom over the last few years.

We might need to replace the flooring if we wanted to sell our house, but it’s perfectly good to our eyes. Rather than paying1,500 to $3,000 in an nobody will ever see, we have chosen to pocket that money instead.

#2: Replacing Kitchen Cabinets

Our kitchen cabinets are first to this house, so they are 32 years of age. They had been in great shape when we purchased our house, albeit somewhat dated with country theme and a light oak stain.

I thought hard and long about everything to do with our cabinets before we decided to sand and then re-stain them ourselves. In the end, I couldn’t actually justify replacing our entire kitchen when the cabinets seemed okay, functioned fine, and had the capability to be even better.

At this point, I doubt we replace our kitchen cabinets. Not purchasing new cabinets is easily a savings of around $ 20,000, because the previous counters were mismatched while we spent about $ 200 on our cabinets and materials to sand and an additional $.

#3: New Windows

Our windows are first to this residence, which is part of the rationale they’d be expensive to replace. Being 30+ years old, how they’re made from timber frames that match our inner wood moldings and trim.

We’ve got 18 dividers, and 16 of them are still ideal. Two of them have noticeable openings to the exterior (which I’ve fixed temporarily with insulating material), and one of these two features a compromised seal. Fortunately, the window with the endangered seal (that is always slightly cloudy) faces the backyard and not the front.

We’ve thought hard and long about replacing our windows a few times, even going so far as obtaining a quotation from two different businesses. $ 18,000 was wanted by the other company, while one wanted around $ 15,000! I really could get more economical windows, however I know I would not be happy together. So, why bother?

Either way, we can not really justify the cost. Our windows work good and also our utility bills have been low. Because I doubt replacing our windows would result in any savings on gas or electricity, this can be.

#4: Replacing an Old Fence

Our house came with privacy fence that encloses our yard. This is a real advantage in our own eyes because we have two children, and the fence has continued to serve us well ever since we adopted a shelter dog in December.

The fence looks great from a distance. When we took down part of the fence to bring in our new drop before this summer, we found that our fence is not nearly as sturdy as it looks. My husband needed to do some repair work merely to set the thing!

After that, we got an estimate for fencing: $8,000. We knew that it would not be economical, but we’re surprised it’d cost that much for a fundamental shadowbox style. Obviously, till it falls down we’re likely to continue accepting our fence as-is.

#5: Repaving Our Driveway

It is not happening any time soon, while we have to repave our drive in the future. Our neighbors recently repaved their driveway and I’ve discovered that can not cost more than the job.

Our driveway isn’t broken it worn down and lacking the perfect black surface of driveways on our street. We’ll have to live with it the way it’s, and for now, and will they. I can not justify spending $8,000 to get a update when we have other important, aims to save for.

#6: Guest Bathroom Revamp

There are really so many things wrong with our hallway guest bathroom to count. Among those dual sinks is overlooking its own “plug” or stopper completely. After a piece of art was knocked off the walls, some of the tile near the toilet was broken.

The shower enclosure is original not exactly the latest style. The bathroom cabinet is over 30 years old, and the countertop is made of Formica, and each of of the hooks and hardware are all mismatched.

This is but it’s not happening any time soon. Considering that the bathroom needs a re-do, the project could easily cost $10,000 to $15,000. We could do some of the work ourselves, but I bother if it’s not likely to be exactly what I want. Like our master bathroom, people see this bathroom anyway.

The Most Important Thing

While I love this home and attempt to make it as amazing as you can, I also know that some house repairs and upgrades won’t ever pay off. If I did all the upgrades and repairs with this list, we would easily pay $50,000 or even more without including over a couple thousand dollars in value to our house.

Sooner or later, you need to understand where to draw the line — or danger over-improving into the detriment of your financing. For the time being, we’re going to continue to keep our additional cash and to be happy with what we have.

Holly Johnson is an award-winning personal finance author and the writer of . Johnson shares her obsession with all frugality, budgeting, and traveling at .

Are there any home improvements or updates you refuse to make? What are they?

See Also:

Recommended For You

A Fantastic Way to Pay Off Debt With A No Interest Credit Card

Eliminate high interest debt with a 0 percent balance transfer credit card

Buy a Complimentary Trip This Summer by using the Proper Card

Earn credit card things to travel

Avoid Foreign Transaction Fees with All These Best Picks

Save money and expand your travel funding

6 Credit Cards That Can Not Be Performed in 2016

A comprehensive guide to maximizing rewards and getting paid

from Home Improvements http://home-improvements-one.com/six-home-improvements-that-just-arent-worth-it/

[homeimprovementsonecom]

Six Home Improvements That Just Aren’t Worth It

As someone raised and born and central Indiana, I have been spoiled with real estate all my life. The first house we ever purchased (and we still possess as a rental property) set us back a whopping $102,500 and came with three bedrooms and 2 baths. Our house payment, and oh has been less than $700 per month!

Ever since that time, we bought a 2nd three-bedroom, two-bath leasing property for under $100,000, also our second house for $155,000 (that we sold later for $160,000).   Even our present residence, which we intend to reside in forever, just set us back $187,000. Before the housing market roared back into life — back in 2013, it’s around feet, also has been one of the very expensive homes in our community when we purchased it.

Home Upgrades and Repairs I Simply Won’t Make

Since we bought our house, we have put in a great deal of hard work to bring it up. We knocked out a wall to start up the downstairs floor plan, laid wood flooring (performing the bulk of the grunt work ourselves), and painted this place from the top to bottom.

We replaced several non-matching kitchen countertops that purchased new carpet for our upstairs made no sense, also re-stained our kitchen cabinets, that are 30 years old. In total, we have spent $20,000 upgrading our house over the four years we have lived here.

There’s plenty more to do, however, at a certain stage, you need to understand when to stop. While some updates are worthwhile since they truly increase the value and utility of your house, you need to understand where to draw the line — or risk over-improving and losing money in the long run.

While I am all about dolling up my primary residence, here are some repairs and upgrades I am not willing to make:

#1: Replacing Ugly Peel-and-Stick Floors

Had an interesting sense of style. When the master bathroom was remodeled by them, they chose flooring that looks great from a distance but insanely cheap. The strangest part about it, nevertheless, is the simple fact the floor pieces actually move sometimes since they are literally “glued” into the floor planks with adhesive.

But, do I take action? Not actually. The matter about our master bathroom — and the reason I won’t replace this flooring — is that it is not seen by anybody else. I can not think of a single person who has been aside from our children in our bedroom over the last few years.

We might need to replace the flooring if we wanted to sell our house, but it’s perfectly good to our eyes. Rather than paying1,500 to $3,000 in an nobody will ever see, we have chosen to pocket that money instead.

#2: Replacing Kitchen Cabinets

Our kitchen cabinets are first to this house, so they are 32 years of age. They had been in great shape when we purchased our house, albeit somewhat dated with country theme and a light oak stain.

I thought hard and long about everything to do with our cabinets before we decided to sand and then re-stain them ourselves. In the end, I couldn’t actually justify replacing our entire kitchen when the cabinets seemed okay, functioned fine, and had the capability to be even better.

At this point, I doubt we replace our kitchen cabinets. Not purchasing new cabinets is easily a savings of around $ 20,000, because the previous counters were mismatched while we spent about $ 200 on our cabinets and materials to sand and an additional $.

#3: New Windows

Our windows are first to this residence, which is part of the rationale they’d be expensive to replace. Being 30+ years old, how they’re made from timber frames that match our inner wood moldings and trim.

We’ve got 18 dividers, and 16 of them are still ideal. Two of them have noticeable openings to the exterior (which I’ve fixed temporarily with insulating material), and one of these two features a compromised seal. Fortunately, the window with the endangered seal (that is always slightly cloudy) faces the backyard and not the front.

We’ve thought hard and long about replacing our windows a few times, even going so far as obtaining a quotation from two different businesses. $ 18,000 was wanted by the other company, while one wanted around $ 15,000! I really could get more economical windows, however I know I would not be happy together. So, why bother?

Either way, we can not really justify the cost. Our windows work good and also our utility bills have been low. Because I doubt replacing our windows would result in any savings on gas or electricity, this can be.

#4: Replacing an Old Fence

Our house came with privacy fence that encloses our yard. This is a real advantage in our own eyes because we have two children, and the fence has continued to serve us well ever since we adopted a shelter dog in December.

The fence looks great from a distance. When we took down part of the fence to bring in our new drop before this summer, we found that our fence is not nearly as sturdy as it looks. My husband needed to do some repair work merely to set the thing!

After that, we got an estimate for fencing: $8,000. We knew that it would not be economical, but we’re surprised it’d cost that much for a fundamental shadowbox style. Obviously, till it falls down we’re likely to continue accepting our fence as-is.

#5: Repaving Our Driveway

It is not happening any time soon, while we have to repave our drive in the future. Our neighbors recently repaved their driveway and I’ve discovered that can not cost more than the job.

Our driveway isn’t broken it worn down and lacking the perfect black surface of driveways on our street. We’ll have to live with it the way it’s, and for now, and will they. I can not justify spending $8,000 to get a update when we have other important, aims to save for.

#6: Guest Bathroom Revamp

There are really so many things wrong with our hallway guest bathroom to count. Among those dual sinks is overlooking its own “plug” or stopper completely. After a piece of art was knocked off the walls, some of the tile near the toilet was broken.

The shower enclosure is original not exactly the latest style. The bathroom cabinet is over 30 years old, and the countertop is made of Formica, and each of of the hooks and hardware are all mismatched.

This is but it’s not happening any time soon. Considering that the bathroom needs a re-do, the project could easily cost $10,000 to $15,000. We could do some of the work ourselves, but I bother if it’s not likely to be exactly what I want. Like our master bathroom, people see this bathroom anyway.

The Most Important Thing

While I love this home and attempt to make it as amazing as you can, I also know that some house repairs and upgrades won’t ever pay off. If I did all the upgrades and repairs with this list, we would easily pay $50,000 or even more without including over a couple thousand dollars in value to our house.

Sooner or later, you need to understand where to draw the line — or danger over-improving into the detriment of your financing. For the time being, we’re going to continue to keep our additional cash and to be happy with what we have.

Holly Johnson is an award-winning personal finance author and the writer of . Johnson shares her obsession with all frugality, budgeting, and traveling at .

Are there any home improvements or updates you refuse to make? What are they?

See Also:

Recommended For You

A Fantastic Way to Pay Off Debt With A No Interest Credit Card

Eliminate high interest debt with a 0 percent balance transfer credit card

Buy a Complimentary Trip This Summer by using the Proper Card

Earn credit card things to travel

Avoid Foreign Transaction Fees with All These Best Picks

Save money and expand your travel funding

6 Credit Cards That Can Not Be Performed in 2016

A comprehensive guide to maximizing rewards and getting paid

from Home Improvements http://home-improvements-one.com/six-home-improvements-that-just-arent-worth-it/

[dutch-rub]

Hyper-Focus and Multi-Tasking

A friend was in a new sales career and wanted some marketing ideas. I told him I had some but we needed to meet to go over them. That very night we ended up watching a game on TV with some friends, I had mentioned I had that business idea and let's all discuss it after the game. He agreed.

During post-game, which he wanted to watch, he asked me about it. I said "Oh let's just wait a few minutes until this is over."

At that moment I could sense they all thought I might have been pouting for not just stating my idea then. After all, the game was over. Right? Why wait? Kind of "If I can't have it my way you can't play with my ball." 

A few days later I mentioned that to my friend, in person. He did not deny that pouting crossed his mind. 

I’m disabled from a chronic, undiagnosed neurological disease. The ‘undiagnosed’ part means the neurologists know my symptoms very well, but they don’t know what gene is causing it. If they did, the disease would have a name like Parkinson's, MS, ALS, etc.

I went on to explain to my friend how my brain operates. One of my many conditions is the polar opposite of attention deficit...hyper-focus. 

Now, consider that every human characterization is bell curved. With all those ADHD people, who is at the other end of the bell-curve? People with intent ability to focus...like me. 

My guess is my hyper-focus is not related to my disease. Ironically, some ADHD people actually have hyper-focus: “people with ADD have a disregulated attention system” therefore some get the good side of focus...if handled properly.

For me, this means multi-tasking is not just difficult, I can't do it. But guess what, study after study proves humans cannot multitask. Our abilities, comprehension, and focus drop like a rock. Efficient Multi-tasking is a myth. 

Let’s discuss some downsides to this. When our four adult children and their significant others are all over for a Holiday, the cross-over conversations are incredibly stressful for me. I'll bet money my heart rate and blood pressure go up. 

Here's what happens at these family events where often some wine has been served. I start to tell a story and almost immediately one of the kids has to out-due the others by a one-liner. Besides the fact their one-liner is brilliant, my brain has to re-set. So I start again. My wife might get up to start the desert and someone else might get up to get a beer so lots of physical movement. I re-set again. Someone might start a side conversation that all of us can hear. I re-set again. 

But with me, after about three re-sets the switch flips and it's all gone. Not the memory of the story but the mental energy to tell it. There's just nothing left in the mental tank. It's so bad I often need to leave the room to let my brain rest by closing my eyes and having quiet time. 

Not telling the story Is not sulking. 

Also, my brain does refresh quickly. Sometimes I can't rejoin the party. There is simply too much commotion and input.

Now while you might think "that sucks." There are enormous benefits to this condition. I can listen and observe better than 98 out of 100 people. I can listen to someone (presuming I hear them) and pick up on the smallest details and tones. If my focus is really on, I can even do this with cross-over talk (for a while). 

Notice I can’t talk in that environment...but I can listen and observe people well.

This might be why I like Who-Dunnit movies so much. My first clue I was developing this skill-ineptness (same coin) was when I simply could not watch Law & Order with interruptions. I needed to turn off the TV. Again, I wasn’t being petulant to turn off the TV (OK, unless it was super good episode and remember, no DVRs in early L&O days. So a completely justified mini-sulk).

I've been at big dinner parties where someone tells a long story and at the punchline, everyone laughs...except me. The person left out a key part of the story so the conclusion made no sense. Not to be an ass but I inquired and the person kindly explained the part that was left out. Then you can see that look in their eyes as they realize "The story wasn't funny if I left that out." 

People discuss problem-solving skills. If I'm boasting forgive me, but when my hyper-focus kicks in I can brainstorm aka problem-solve like a champ! But if someone knocked in the front door it would take me several seconds to come off my train of thought. (I’m exaggerating...but not as much as you may think). 

Quick Sidestory. I’ve never been in a collision, while driving, in my life. However, one day I was driving up I-5 on a perfectly clear, dry day and my problem-solving brain was in fricken’ overdrive. I was hyper-focused!! When I ‘came to’ (and that is a perfect description) I was driving up on a car doing maybe 15 mph faster I had to hit the brakes fairly hard but not jammed. No ABS and I locked the rears! I was in the left lane and my rear started swinging out to right. I instinctively glanced in my right mirror and saw a semi-truck but he was two car lengths back so I had a chance. God had the front go left and the rear never crossed the center line. I kept spinning gradually counterclockwise while the car drifted left. There was a field median with no guard-rail. I hit the field with the front of the car pointed at 8 o’clock. When I hit the field the car stopped spinning and went dead sideways now traveling to 11 o'clock while still pointing at 8. I came to a stop and was sure all four tires were flat and the wheels likely totaled too. I got out and lo and behold, God had blessed me yet again! The tires had air and get this...there were large clumps of long grass stuck in-between the tire and both right wheels. Let that one process a bit. How can that physically happen and not go flat? (Physics says it can't). I got in my car and got on the freeway to avoid 5-0. Funny part: I drove straight to the tire store and asked if they could balance my tires. The young man said “No problem sir.” Then he went around and looked down at my passenger side tires and his eyes got big. I just got out and went to the waiting room. Welcome to Focusville.

Back to that night with friends When I casually passed on sharing the business idea. The friend who wanted business ideas had turned down the TV volume to encourage me to talk. Guess what happened? The volume was so low it made all three of them concentrate even more on the TV. I know this because I attempted to make eye contact with each. I was sitting forward of them. I turned my entire body, faced each of them, and looked closely at them for several seconds each. Not one of them made eye contact as "Why are you looking at me?" 

Guess what? That's not their fault! That's being human. We...cannot...multi-task. 

That Monday Night with friends was the perfect example. But was it their fault for being overly confident in their mental capabilities? Enough to believe they could listen to the post-game, watch the TV, and fully process a business proposition. You tell me.

Can a professional juggler have a deep conversation while juggling three balls? Yes. Because for him the 3 balls is rote. Like easy driving for most people over 35. 

However, even you turn down the radio when looking for an address in traffic. Why? Because deep down your synapses are not connecting and your brain knows it, therefore demands less input. “Kids be quiet!!” ;-)

My friend who was new in the career and I met for coffee two days later specifically to go over another part of his new career (LinkedIn profile). Because I suspected they thought I was pouting, I explained the gist of how hyper-focus works, at least for me. And that’s why I couldn’t share the idea. He did not deny that me pouting had crossed his mind (maybe for a split second). 

As we were going our separate ways in the restaurant, his hand was on the door and he said "What was your business idea?" To make sure it didn't look like a pout, I found myself nicely saying "You're doing it again."

I can't make that up...but it gets comically worse.

He caught his error and said “I need to run an errand. Come with me and tell me as we drive.” 

I foolishly took the bait...yet again. He’s Lucy. I’m Charlie Brown. 

When driving, we couldn't make vital eye contact. Worse, his mind was already drifting onto the rest of his day. His brain had said “I left the restaurant so that purpose is over.” 

How do I know this? Because I had to repeat my idea three times as he kept saying it back incorrectly. While it was a clever business idea, it was brutally simplistic.

Remember, my theory is every human characteristic can be plotted on a bell curve. But we often presume one end of the curve is “better.” 

I challenge you to challenge that presumption.

What!? You still think you are in the 2% who can multi-task. Now you are being cocky. Take this quiz then this quiz and watch this brief Harvard commentary.

[hammondfamilydentistry]

How Family Dental Services Can Help You Stay In A Good Oral Health

As a child I didn't have the experience many of my peers had with going to the dentist. Back then there were no specialty pediatric dentists; I went to the regular dentist with all the other patients. Fortunately, I had great experiences with the dentist and did not develop a fear of the dentist. This has served me well as an adult. I have taken good care of my teeth with regular maintenance check-ups and cleanings every six months. I cannot say the same for many of my peers, who were terrified of going to the dentist as a child and they have suffered with poor dental hygiene as adults.

FB: https://www.facebook.com/BadeDDSOfficial/

According to family dentistry at Hammond sealant is a right choice to the children. Applying sealant is not a very difficult task. There is no need to drill their teeth. At first teeth are well rinsed and dried up. After that one type of gel is used on the surface of the teeth. Then they are washed of perfectly. When they get dry, the dentist will paint the teeth so that they may not suffer from further decay. It is a matter of minutes. Then a proactive sealant is form to protect their teeth.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MBadeDDS

At first the neighboring crowns will be prepared for dental bridge. The enamel of the crown will be removed slightly so that dental bridge can be placed. Several impressions will be taken for setting the false tooth properly. Sometimes, Wax is use to make a dummy first. A temporary bridge will be set up before the permanent one. Then this will be removed and the permanent bridge will be set. Your dentist will watch on the fitting, color and contour of your tooth. Then your dentist will check your bite to examine whether it is setup properly or not. If it is found okay, it will be cemented permanently in right place.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/13440915/

Start seeking experts whenever you think your dental coverage may not work for you. A dental practitioner devoted to family dentist hammond can be a wise option when you have a family and kids. This can be much more helpful because you will simply have to go to one dental clinic and visit one dental practitioner to have everyone's oral health handled.

G+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/100358256000007984247

Implant Dentistry: Life throws curveballs. Sometimes you get out of the way in time, and sometimes those curveballs knock out your teeth. Literally. Scientists haven't learned how to regrow teeth naturally, but Dr. Alex offers services in implant family dentist hammond, one of the best options for tooth replacement. An appointment with him will leave you smiling brighter and fuller than ever.Many dental visits include a group of x-rays. Your child could be scared of getting an xray, or they could be captivated by the idea of taking a picture of the interior of their teeth and be completely cooperative. Your kid's body will be covered with a lead apron to limit exposure during the procedure.

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/badedds/

If you are in Hammond IN and looking for a good dentist you can turn to for your dental health protection, consider yourself lucky. There are a lot of dentists in the said city who can help you with your dental health needs.When nature rules over your mouth, you could be sure that the pH level of the oral cavity is maintained at safe levels. This further ensures the maintenance of an atmosphere not amenable to cavities and dental caries. Xylitol is known to have a incremental effect on amino acids and ammonia in the saliva which, in turn, is known to be detrimental to plaque. This way, it acts against plaque. It has a negative effect on the growth of bacteria in the mouth; the formation of acids is deterred. This results in an overall reduction of plaque in the oral cavity.

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/badedds/

Phone Number: (219) 931-3235 Address: HAMMOND, IN, 46324 Email: drbade@badedds.com