Outdoor living space is very in fashion these days. Homeowners – and home buyers - are putting more emphasis on this area, recognizing a porch’s ability to set the tone of a home and provide very useful and enjoyable living space.

If you plan it properly, your porch can serve as the central gathering place during warm weather and well into the fall. Sort of like that big country kitchen, but for the outdoors.

Though the front of a home is where most people place their porch, sides and backs of homes can be even more suitable depending on the position of the home and lot.

A front porch tends to be used differently than one located in the back or side yard. A front porch is obviously less private, so it’s layout needs to reflect more of an open approach. But a porch located out of public view opens itself to a much wider array of ideas, layouts – and uses.

A front porch is perfect for a palate of warm, seasonal colours. Make it inviting! Comfy seating is essential. Cushions should be substantial – firm enough to take the weight, yet still allow you to sink in and enjoy. A simple yet sturdy table is handy – to hold a large vase of colourful flowers, drinks, your laptop, or a chess game.

A front porch can not only help connect your interior space with the exterior, it can help connect you with your surroundings. Invite neighbours to sit and enjoy your porch, too.

Back or side porches benefit from being as inviting as the front, but can be more casual and can incorporate space for personal time like reading, doing your nails, surfing the net, playing chess or whatever you like to do indoors – without fear of interruption. If space permits, a dining area can really complete this outdoor space.

If you have bug issues, screens are the best answer, but they can interfere with a porch’s openness and usability. Consider perimeter plants that deter pests, scented candles or even a ceiling fan to provide enough of a breeze to deter flying pests.

Other considerations to make your porch perfect might include a refrigerator, TV, sound system, a mirror, soft lighting – or candles in safe containers, and enough electrical outlets for all those gadgets we use today. And if privacy is a little hard to come by, a strategically-placed lattice panel or curtain can be very effective.

Things have changed when it comes to lighting, with energy-saving options coming out of the woodwork. We used to buy bulbs that were a certain wattage, because that is how they were measured and marketed. We knew what wattage we needed to produce the light required.

But the wattage has always only referred to the energy they consume, not the amount of light they produce. Lumens are what you need to pay attention to. Lumens are the measure of a bulb’s actual brightness, the new standard for comparing all light bulbs, regardless of the technology behind it or whether it’s a halogen, incandescent, CFL or LED.

As an example, a 60 watt incandescent bulb produces about 800 lumens, while a CFL bulb produces that same 800 lumens using less than 15 watts.

So it’s simple; when buying lighting, the more lumens, the brighter the bulb. The higher the wattage, the more energy it consumes.

Most people were taught not to waste food from a young age. Yet somehow, despite well-intended threats like "if you don't eat your vegetables, you can't have dessert", we still waste a huge amount of food.

According to a 2008 report from the Stockholm International Water Institute, global food losses and wastage may be in the order of 50 percent between field and plate. In Canada, it is estimated that by watching what you throw out or allow to go bad, a family of 4 can save $1000 a year or more!

And it’s not just the food and money spent to buy it that is wasted. For a more accurate picture of the losses, we must add the cost of feed and care for the crop or animal and the time involved, plus the huge amount of water wasted.

But don’t stop there! One more significant impact is the carbon dioxide emissions from the production of energy that goes into packaging and transporting the food we waste. 

Reduce the amount of food wasted in your home – and save on groceries – by applying some of these helpful tips;

• Invest in Proper Food Storage. This can include effective containers that seal in the freshness and extend to the refrigerator itself – which needs to be cool enough for optimum storage.
• Plan Meals in Advance when possible, so you can more accurately ensure you have the ingredients you need on hand and can reduce unnecessary spending and waste.
• Beware of Bulk. You might save per item, but the wastage can be higher than normal if you can’t use it all before the expiry date or if you get bored with it.
• Know your Fridge and Cupboard Contents by checking them regularly to see what ‘best before’ dates are coming up – so you can use them before they expire.
• Develop some Variable Recipes that allow you to use whatever veggies or meat that need to used up. A ‘Rice and Stuff’ dish or ‘Pasta with Whatever’ platter are ideal.
• Use the Net – a site like www.myfridgefood.com -  to find recipes that incorporate the ingredients you have into a meal. 

“An old broom knows the dirty corners best.”
~Irish Proverb

Perhaps it is the fact that it signals the end of summer. Or possibly it is simply because it involves considerable work. Regardless of the reason, closing the cottage for the season is not usually high on the list of fun things to do.

Use the following list to help you get the job done with as few headaches as possible:

• Void all water pipes to prevent freezing – and breakage.
• Turn off fuel gases at their source.
• Remove all food and anything else that may attract animals.
• Defrost and unplug the refrigerator, and prop the door open slightly.
• Place an open box of baking soda inside the refrigerator to keep odours away.
• Cover windows with shades for both storm and theft prevention.
• Anti-mildew boxes can be purchased inexpensively to help prevent dampness.
• Clean and put away the patio furniture and barbecue.
• Make sure all garden tools are safely stowed so they cannot be used to break into the cottage.
• Arrange for a local person or service to monitor your cottage periodically and report if there is any problem.

September 18 to 24 is a week to be dedicated to the trees, with opportunities for Canadians to learn more about Canada’s forest heritage and the role this valuable and renewable resource plays in human existence. This year’s theme is Forests for People, with Wednesday, September 21, marking Canada’s first ever National Tree Day.

National Forest Week was originally established as Forest Fire Prevention Week in 1926, but now encompasses a wider involvement and scope.

Plan some time during that week to celebrate the many benefits that trees and forests in your community provide and the many ways trees enhance our lives. Check out http://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/subsite/nationalforestweek for more info and events in your area.

Some of the laws passed in Canada years ago can seem rather odd today – relating to activities that are no longer a concern. While most are a result of not updating records, some are still valid, while others seem to have no obvious target or basis. Hopefully all will make you smile.

Did j’a know these odd Canadian laws;

• Horses are not allowed to stand on Edmonton streets for longer than 20 minutes.
• Street musicians must not give children balloon animals in Victoria, BC.
• In Glace Bay, NS, all cyclists must carry a kerosene lantern so they can be seen easily.
• Catching and releasing a raccoon outside it’s natural territory in the province of Ontario carries a fine of up to $25,000.
• In Fort Qu'Appelle, SK, all teenagers walking down the main street must have their shoes tied.
• Canadian law states that no person shall offer a reward for lost or stolen property by promising "no questions will be asked."
• In British Columbia, it is illegal to kill a sasquatch (big foot).
• If you find an injured migratory bird in a Canadian national park, you are required to kill it immediately or be liable for a $300 fine.
• It's against the law to drive cattle through the streets of St. John's, NF after 8am.
• You can be fined $200 for just carrying a slingshot within a national park in Canada – even if you don’t use it.

When it comes to hand tools, pliers may well be the most misused tool around. Pliers are used to hold objects firmly, for bending or cutting, or to compress something. Pliers are not wrenches or hammers, and one pair of pliers will not do for all jobs.
Here are a few more pliers tips;

• Use the proper size and strength of pliers for the job.
• Always cut at right angles.
• Never extend the length of handles for increased leverage.
• A regular drop of oil on the hinge will lengthen the life of your pliers and assure easy operation.

“Cleanliness becomes more important when godliness is unlikely.” ~P. J. O'Rourke

“Food, love, career, and mothers; the four major guilt groups.” ~Cathy Guisewite

“I don't need you to remind me of my age. I have a bladder to do that for me.” ~Stephen Fry

“I found there was only one way to look thin: hang out with fat people.” ~Rodney Dangerfield