Outdoor improvements are a popular way to add value to your home for many Canadians. And backyards are getting a lot of attention during the summer months – with some homeowners creating a full outdoor kitchen and living room in their yards. But as with most improvements, going overboard usually doesn’t yield a proportionate increase in property value – if any at all. So if you’re planning a backyard reno, do it for your own enjoyment, but be conscious of these factors:
• Regardless of budget, start by getting input from a professional and if necessary, work with them to plan implementation of the overall design over several years.
• Buy quality, even if it means buying less.
• Don't do anything you don't have the time or money to maintain.
• Start with areas that add the most impact, like the patio.
• Don't over-plant. Save money and add appeal to open lawn space by planting on the edges only – framing the space.
• Work with the environment you have and use native plants because they are less expensive to maintain.
• Consider used swing sets for the kids. New ones cost a fortune and won't be used that long.
• Don’t over-pave. Costs money and isn’t environmentally friendly.

The first day of back to school is usually an exciting time for kids – a chance to meet and catch-up with friends they haven’t seen over the summer, an opportunity to get to know their teacher and new classmates, and a chance to feel the comfort of a familiar routine.

But it’s also not uncommon for kids to have the ‘first day jitters’, especially if they are attending a new school or going to school for the first time. These situations can be terrifying for some children, especially the younger ones.

If you have children starting school for the first time or if your children will be attending a new school, check out the tips below to help them lower their anxiety and get them looking forward to the first day of school. And if you know of anyone who is in a similar position, feel free to share them:

Make a New Friend. If possible, introduce your child to a classmate before the first day of school.

Wear ‘Confident’ Clothes. Allow your children to choose their own clothing or choose something for the young ones that you know they like to wear.

Take a School Tour. Arrange to tour the school with your child. Help your child find their way around the school and the location of their classroom and the bathroom.

Discuss it. Talk about the excitement of starting at a new school, and encourage feedback and sharing of feelings from your child about any anxiety they may have.

Know the Route. If your kids will be going by bus, trace the bus route so they feel comfortable during the ride. If they will walk or ride a bike without you, make sure they know how to get there and have taken the route by themselves, as they will on school days.

Organize the Night Before. Make sure last minute rushing around to get ready doesn’t add to the anxiety level. Organize the night before and make it a habit that will bode well for your children throughout life.

Instill a Routine. Make sure your child knows clearly where they will be going after school if not home, how to get there, who will be responsible for them, what the rules are, and how to get help in an emergency.

Make First Day Dinner an Event. Plan a meal that includes something the whole family likes and make sure everyone can be there. Spend the time listening to their day and encourage as much feedback as possible.

This month we have a mishmash of wacky facts that make you go Huh?
• Sheep theft is a hangable offence in Scotland.
• Nightingales have repertoires of up to 300 songs.
• Fleas drink 15 times their weight in blood daily.
• Edinburgh is built on seven extinct volcanoes.
• Ex-boxer George Foreman has five sons called George.
• China National Tobacco make 2,000,000,000,000 (two trillion) cigarettes annually.
• The wing span of vultures can be as much as 11’6’’.
• Ten million pints of Guinness are produced daily in Ireland.
• Only humans and armadillos suffer from leprosy.
• To paint the Eiffel Tower would take five tons of paint.
• Herds of Canadian caribou actually generate their own weather.
• 22% of the world’s forests are in Russia.

Since July was named in honour of Julius Cesar, it is only fitting that August be named in honour of his grandnephew Augustus. After he defeated Marc Antony and Cleopatra, and became emperor of Rome, the Roman Senate decided that Augustus too should have a month named after him. The month Sextillus (sex = six) was chosen for Augustus, and the Roman Senate made it law.

Not only did the Senate name a month after Augustus, but it decided that since Julius's month, July, had 31 days, Augustus' month should equal it. So they made a change to the existing Julian calendar that had the months alternating between 30 and 31 days so that August was also 31 days long. Thus no one could claim that Emperor Augustus was saddled with an inferior month.

Wasps are beneficial insects because they prey on many other insects, including crickets caterpillars, flies, and other pests. But during late summer and fall they are more interested in collecting sweets and other carbohydrates. That’s why it’s not uncommon at this time of year for our outdoor activity to be disrupted by their annoying presence!

Wasps come in many types and sizes. The ones that are of most concern to people because of their stinging habits are yellowjackets and hornets. Control of scavenging wasps is difficult, as there are no insecticides that effectively repel or discourage them. The best strategy is to minimize attracting them.

Wait to serve food and drink until people are ready to eat. Promptly put away food when done and throw garbage into a container with a tightly fitting lid. Examine glasses, cans, and other containers before drinking from them to check for wasps that may have flown inside. If a wasp flies to your food, wait for it to fly away or gently brush it away.  If you crush them they will give off an alarm scent that will attract others wasps.

Many people make the mistake of placing wasp traps in areas of human activity.  This of course attracts more wasps.  Place the traps in a wide circle 40 or 50 feet away from the area you want to be wasp free.  Sweet smelling liquids like carbonated pop are the best attractant.  And for an easy, effective, home-made trap, check out http://eartheasy.com/live_natwasp_control.htm.

Most of us are familiar with this amazingly agile little household mainstay and have used it to solve a number of different problems.  I thought that you might like to know more about this well-known WD-40 product.

Though it originally was created in 1953 as a rust preventative solvent and de-greaser to protect missile parts, its versatility was quickly realized and people started trying it as a fix for just about everything. It may not be a cure-all, but just look at what it can do:

• Gets oil spots off concrete driveways.
• Loosens stubborn zippers.
• Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
• Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
• Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and in homes.
• Excellent at removing troublesome build-up on stove tops.
• Keeps rust from forming on saws and other tools.
• Keeps pigeons off the balcony. (they hate the smell)
• Removes nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring.
• Great for removing that summer film of bug guts on the front of the car.

... plus thousands of others.

BTW – know where the name WD 40 came from? It comes from the original project in ‘53 to find a "Water Displacement" compound. They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40.

"Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent."

~ Isaac Asimov

Art with Chirp
Angela, age 7, says, “I like to draw and colour Chirp and the other guys with him. It’s pretty easy, but not really easy. You still have to be careful. I like the erase button.”

What on Earth?
Mario, age 12, says, “I really like learning about the earth. This is a trivia game. You choose which category and how much you’re playing for. Then if you answer the question right, you get points. If you’re wrong, you lose points.”

Memory Games
Christine, age 8, says, “My mom says I’d forget my own name if she didn’t have to use it 100 times a day. But I’m good at playing this game. I usually can remember better than my friend Nan, too.”

A Day at the Beach
Todd, age 10 says, “The whole family is going to the beach next weekend and I’m planning to enjoy it. I got some good ideas of stuff to do at this site. We’re having a sandcastle contest and collecting shells for sure.”

Find yourself squinting while using MS PowerPoint's slide sorter view? Those slides can be pretty small and if they resemble each other too much, it gets even harder to distinguish one from the other. Try these two suggestions to solve your problem.

1. Use the zoom box. You will find the zoom box in the toolbars at the top – a numeric field with a ‘%’ sign in it. You can change the value to anything from 20% to 100% by either of the following methods:
• Choose a value from the drop down list you get from the down arrow on the right hand side.
• Click inside the zoom box, type a value and hit the Enter key.

2. Use the scroll wheel. If you have a mouse that has a scroll wheel, place your cursor over the slides on the screen, hold down the Ctrl key and scroll the wheel, you'll find that the slide size zooms in and out.

Voila! An end to your slide sorter squinting forever!

It’s a popular time of year for painting as Canadians across the country gussy-up their humble abodes inside and out. If you are one of the ones holding the brush (or roller) consider these handy Hank Paint Tips X 3.

1. Whether using a brush or roller, it is important to maintain a ‘wet edge’ as you paint to help eliminate lap marks. Always brush or roll INTO the wet edge, not away from it. Maintaining a wet edge is even more important when staining than painting, as lap marks are more prominent. If you do have to stop before finishing the entire room, always stop at a corner.

2. If you have to start a new can in the middle of a wall, mix some of the new paint with the last of the old paint to ensure blending of colours.

3. Always stir the paint or stain thoroughly before use even though it was mixed in the "shaker" at the store. Pigment has a tendency to settle, so also periodically stir your paint or stain during application to ensure colour consistency.

“You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it.” ~ Robin Williams

“I want to die before my wife, and the reason is this: If it is true that when you die, your soul goes up to judgment, I don't want my wife up there ahead of me to tell them things.” ~ Bill Cosby

“Where I come from (Ireland) we have nine to ten months of bad weather, then winter sets in. That’s why we’re so angry with each other but love everyone else.” ~ David Feherty

“In high school, I was the class comedian as opposed to the class clown. The difference is, the class clown is the guy who drops his pants at the football game, the class comedian is the guy who talked him into it.” ~ Billy Crystal