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Home Improvement
Don't let summertime equal more crime
You may be wishing for sandy beaches or a mountain getaway about now. As Americans make plans to escape for a few days this summer, criminals view these vacations as a season of opportunity.
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Upgrading to the house of your dreams
The real estate market is still in a state of limbo, which has many homeowners staying in place and looking for ways to make their current abode the most comfortable it can be. Real estate agents expect the market to continue to be flat in 2012, according to ActiveRain Corp, a real estate social network. Because they're ...
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The design element that can add drama and save cash
While drama may be unattractive in other aspects of your life, a dash of it can be just what your home's decor needs to spice things up. Fortunately, you don't have to choose between drama and cents. At least one popular design element can deliver positive impact on your decor and your wallet: skylights.
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Free up more time by revamping your laundry room routine
Today, time is an incredible luxury - one that we too rarely have . Between family responsibilities, work commitments and everyday stresses, it can often be hard to accomplish everything on the to-do list, let alone carve out time for oneself. A mainstay on the to-do list has always been laundry, and with the average Am...
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Start enjoying your deck after one day's work
Most deck owners know that one of the keys to keeping their decks looking good is staining it every few years. However, while deck staining is a process that most homeowners are capable of doing themselves, finding the time to do it can be difficult. With the right approach and the right products, you can get everything ...
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Revive your bathroom quickly, easily and affordably
Remodeling projects have increased in popularity over the past few years as homeowners have decided to improve on what they have, rather than take a risk in the real estate market. Whether you're hoping to sell your home or create a more enjoyable living space, tackle home improvement projects that make a big impact and ...
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Don't let pesky ants put a damper on your summer
Ants, though often small, are the biggest pests of the summer for homeowners. They can enter homes through tiny cracks, looking for water and food - mainly sweets, meats or greasy foods - in the kitchen or pantry area. Ants may also be forced inside because of the weather, in search of a cooler or drier environment and b...
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Signs that termites might be invading your house
Termites live to eat. Their hunger causes $5 billion worth of damage each year in the U.S., damage most homeowner's insurance doesn't cover. In fact, a colony can devour a foot of 2-by-4 wood in only six months. And since termites are masters at going undetected, they can destroy entire support beams before you discover ...
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The good health advice you can easily follow
You may think one bit of common health advice - to get more fresh air and sunshine - would be easy to follow. The health benefits of cleaner air and natural light are well-documented. However our busy, technology-filled modern lives can make it difficult to fulfill our most basic needs for natural light and clean air. Fo...
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Easy kitchen updates that won't break the bank
It goes without saying that the kitchen is one of the hardest-working rooms in the home. For most, it's the heart of family life and usually the one room where everyone gathers together. With so much hustle and bustle, it's no wonder that the kitchen runs the risk of looking overworked.
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The heat is on outside, keep cool inside
As summer heats up, air conditioning bills can rapidly rise. As homeowners feel the heat, many are looking for ways to save and stay cool. One way to help lower utility bills in the summer and year-round is to replace drafty or leaky old windows with new, energy-efficient products.
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How to turn must-do home improvements into things of beauty
How to turn must-do home improvements into things of beauty
(ARA) - When it comes to home improvement, you can spend money in two basic ways: on things that make your home look better and things that make it function better. Under the first category, you'll find all the things you want to do, like replacing narrow casem...
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By Marice Richter GRAPEVINE, Texas (Reuters) - The Boy Scouts of America voted on Thursday to lift a ban on openly gay scouts that had been in place throughout the organization's 103-year history, capping weeks of intense lobbying on both sides, the group said in a statement. More than 60 percent of the group's National Council, composed of some 1,400 delegates, voted to end the ban effective January 1, 2014. A prohibition on openly gay adult leaders remains in place. ...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The woman who interrupted President Barack Obama's speech on counterterrorism policy on Thursday is well-known around Washington as a perennial protester on national security issues. Medea Benjamin, a founder of anti-war women's group Code Pink, began demonstrating years ago on Capitol Hill, becoming an almost routine presence at hearings where high-ranking officials of the Bush administration appeared to talk about the Iraq war. ...
By Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Thursday he directed Attorney General Eric Holder to conduct a review of Department of Justice guidelines for investigations that involve journalists and report back by early July. Obama has come under criticism for his administration's pursuit of journalists who have reported leaked material. In recent weeks, it emerged that the Justice Department seized Associated Press phone records as part of a probe into leaks about a 2012 Yemen-based plot to bomb a U.S. ...