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Moving or improving? Tips for a flawless painting project
(BPT) - Did you know spring is the best time to sell your home? And now that the housing market is bouncing back, there’s never been a better time to do it. But even if you’re planning to stay put for the long haul, chances are there are some much-needed touch-ups you could be doing to keep your home in tip-top shape. A...
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Weekend home improvement projects that add value and curb appeal
(BPT) - Weekend warriors rule as 2013 is proving to be the year that the do-it-yourself trend reaches full momentum. If you have a weekend to spare, you have plenty of time to make some home improvements that add value and curb appeal. The key is to choose projects that have a big impact, but only take a few days to com...
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Inspiring ideas for a home makeover
With spring just around the corner, it’s time to focus on sprucing up your home. But balancing a budget and your home improvement desires can be a challenge. Some simple tips and tricks can help you make over your home for less. Whether you plan an all-out redo or just a few tweaks here and there, the design experts at...
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Expanding outdoor living space adds value to your home
(BPT) - Even during a challenging economy, the outdoor living trend remains popular as homeowners seek to add lasting value and functional living space under the sky and stars. Whether it’s a do-it-yourself patio or a professionally installed outdoor kitchen, the beauty, usefulness, value and ease of maintenance in outd...
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Backyard trends: Save money installing your own vinyl fence
(BPT) - If you want the maintenance-free benefits of a vinyl fence but are intimidated by the price tag, you’re not alone. Many homeowners are initially surprised at the cost of a vinyl fence, particularly since the installation costs are generally as much as the materials. Recent trends show that more and more homeowne...
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Four ways to drought-proof your yard
(BPT) - The past few years have not been kind to lawns and gardens across the country. The summer of 2012 brought severe drought to much of the Midwest and a good portion of the country continues to experience drought conditions . Homeowners have two choices in dealing with drought: try to water enough to keep grass an...
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Frequent spring allergy questions answered
(BPT) - Spring is in the air – and that means pollen, mold spores and other airborne allergens are going to bring on sneezing and wheezing for an estimated 40 to 50 million Americans. The spring season can be especially bothersome with so much conflicting information on how to find relief. To help you better understand...
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Online security tips and reputation management for job-hunters
(BPT) - When you’re job-hunting you go to great lengths to stand out among the hundreds – even thousands – of applicants for a single open position. But while you’re working to catch an employer’s eye, have you considered the importance of protecting your information from unwanted attention? Or the need to manage the on...
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Medicine cabinet makeover tips for people with high blood pressure
(BPT) - If you’re among the 68 million Americans who have high blood pressure, you may feel that taking your medicine, getting plenty of exercise and eating a healthy diet means you’re doing everything you can to manage your condition. But with cold season in full swing and many areas of the country recording record num...
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Want to get paid to go to the gym? Become a personal trainer
(BPT) - One upside to the burgeoning obesity epidemic is that it’s fueling the growth of jobs in the fitness industry. Whether you’re one of those people in need of a personal trainer or you’re looking for work in a dismal job market, the bureau of labor statistics reports “employment of fitness trainers and instructo...
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Productivity-boosting improvements for your home office
(BPT) - Let’s face it – not everyone has a home office that inspires productivity. But if you work from home at all – and the Bureau of Labor Statistics says 24 percent of people employed outside the home do at least some of their work at home – having a comfortable, organized and appealing home office can make your j...
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Money advice for expectant and new parents
(BPT) - Have you ever heard the saying that “babies don’t come with owner’s manuals”? It’s true that no matter how many books you read, classes you take, or experienced parents you talk to, you can never be completely prepared for the challenges and joys of parenthood. You can, however, prepare yourself for the costs of...
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By Alex Dobuzinskis LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - City Councilman Eric Garcetti leads City Controller Wendy Greuel by 7 percentage points in a tightening race for mayor of Los Angeles, according to the latest opinion poll, but the survey's director said Greuel could still stage an upset in Tuesday's election. The poll released late on Friday by the University of Southern California's Price School of Public Policy and the Los Angeles Times showed Garcetti favored by 48 percent of likely voters, compared with 41 percent for Greuel. Eleven percent of respondents said they were undecided. ...
By Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When the Yemen-based branch of al Qaeda placed a bounty on her husband's head, Mary Feierstein learned of it from a friend who called and said, "You must be a mess!" U.S. Ambassador Gerald Feierstein was thousands of miles (km) away at the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa, without his wife and family on what is called an "unaccompanied" posting. He is one of more than a thousand U.S. diplomats on such tours of duty in danger spots around the world, part of a trend that is changing the definition of being a diplomat. ...