Enjoy Your Patio Set on Your New Deck

By Kevin Garcia

A friend of mine recently bought a new teak patio set for the new deck he had built. Normally this is a project he would have taken on himself as he is sort of a do it your selfer. But, for some reason he farmed this one out and seeing it I could understand why. I prefer an outdoor patio to a deck but his was a thing of beauty. The patio set sat right next to his combination smoker/wood fired grill and boy was it a gem.

I've always known this guy had a fine eye for quality but this time he had really outdone himself. The musky darkness of the teak furniture was subtle yet striking and went well with the overall design of his deck. The deck itself had sort of a Japanese zen feel to it and the teak fit in perfectly. If I had to estimate I would say that conservatively it added at least ten to fifteen thousands dollars to the value of his house. I was happy that he heeded my advice and got rid of the crappy aluminum stuff he had before. And I could tell by the look of pride on his face showing it off that he was just as pleased.

So look, whether you decide to call it patio furniture, lawn furniture, or outdoor garden furniture quality and durability are crucial to your choice. I don't care if are buying chairs, tables, dining sets, bar stools, or swings and hammocks, buying superior products is never the wrong choice. You just can never go too far wrong by buying the absolute best.

Let's say you decide to go all out and buy exactly what you have been pining for. You know that your patio set will outshine everything on your block. But make sure that you also buy a good quality covering for it. Don't skimp on this, especially if you don't have an outdoor garden shed to store it in during those long winter months.

I will assume that you are looking at your beautiful outdoor garden furniture as a long term investment. That being the case, make certain that you take into consideration your own particular climate when figuring out how to store your patio set. Do you live in a dry or moist climate? Will your outdoor furniture be in the direct sunlight? Are insects or rodents going to be an issue?

Best Caribbean Honeymoon Locations For Patio Set Lounging

Lounge on the beach or the beautiful resort patio set at the locations in these three great Caribbean honeymoon countries.

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Like most poor nations, when traveling to the Domincan Republic for a 4 or 5 star resort vacation, you will be treated like a king. The locals that live and work in the resorts of the Domincan Republic know that the Europeans and Americans are keeping them in business and giving them a job (and sometimes good tips) so they will all but bow down to your feet. The major locations for tourism are in the coastal provinces of Punta Cana and Puerto Plata mostly. If you want a quiet vacation away from much of the hustle and bustle and touristy Spring Break type of resorts in Cancun and Puerto Vallarta than you should check out the Dominican Republic.

Nassau, Bahamas

The capital and largest city in the Bahamas, Nassau is an eclectic and energetic city with a lot to offer. You can find a lively night life scene and a relaxing beach atmosphere just minutes away from each other. The city is known for its beauty and important locations for many films, featuring in numerous James bond films as well as various other often water or beach themed movies that are looking for a picturesque setting and location. The Beatles also filmed scenes for their film “Help!” in Nassau. Tourism is one of the large attractions in the city and there are also many well known parades and holidays with the Junkanoo parade brining in tourists from all over the world.

Palmas Del Mar, Puerto Rico

The area of Puerto Rico is mostly mountainous with beautiful white sand beaches in the coastal areas to the north and south. Originally an agricultural country exporting much sugar, tourism is now one of its main economic components, brining in an approximate $1.8 billion dollars in revenue with 5 million tourists visiting the island in the year 1999, today it is assuredly much higher. Most of Puerto Rico is still very poor, with a median household income of around $17,000 which is still much less than the poorest state in the United States. Nevertheless, it is a great tourist location with many lovely resorts that are both relaxing and exciting. Puerto Ricans are very friendly to fellow Americans.

For More Workers, Home Is Where the Office Is

• By Colleen DeBaise
• On 8:06 pm EST, Sunday January 3, 2010

So maybe 2010 will be the year that you finally break out on your own. Voluntarily or not.

As we continue to dig ourselves out of the deepest recession since the Great Depression, many of us have lost corporate jobs. Others worry that layoffs are lurking. We're taking on free-lance assignments, contract work and short-term projects -- and getting them done in the extra bedroom, eat-in kitchen or spare corner in the utility room.

The home is the new hotbed of entrepreneurial activity.

For those who have temporarily joined the ranks of the self-employed, a home office is the natural (and cheapest) place to get work done. For others who are using severance packages to take a shot at entrepreneurship, the home can be an ideal incubator to test out ideas. Many a successful venture began life in a garage (Hewlett-Packard, in 1938) or launched from a living room (LinkedIn, in 2003).

In many cases, it makes sense to grow the business at home before moving into a separate physical location. Other times, your new venture, career or sideline is simply well-suited to be run out of your home. And in a tough economy, a business owner who has rented office space might return to a home office to trim costs.

About 52% of all small businesses are home-based -- representing a broad swath of industries, from software development and mail-order sales to plumbing and general contracting -- according to statistics from the Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy.

What are the advantages of working from home? The easy commute, for starters, followed by the flexibility and the informal dress code. There also are tax write-offs: As long as you use a portion of your home exclusively and regularly for business, you can deduct a percentage of your rent or mortgage interest, utility bills, repairs and other costs.

Yet there are some distinct disadvantages, too. Most frequently cited is the lack of social interaction. For others, the home is one giant distraction. A pile of dirty dishes, a screaming child or even a sunny patio might compete for attention. Often, friends and family who don't understand you are truly working might call or stop by.

The home can be a difficult place to meet customers or clients, especially if you don't have an extra room or an appropriate place for a business discussion. When it comes to hiring employees, some home-based entrepreneurs say there isn't enough space or that it feels too invasive to have staff in the house. Most home-based businesses (about 93%) don't have employees, according to SBA statistics. Often, it's the need to hire employees that forces home-based entrepreneurs to rent space elsewhere. Lastly, the line between work and personal life can easily blur when working from home.

As such, it's important to come up with a set of practices to maintain some degree of separation between your work and personal life. Here are some ways to do so:

Have a separate office space. Ideally, your work space is in a separate room, with a door that closes, good ventilation and lighting. The bedroom is the worst place for a home office, as work becomes the first and last thing you see each day. If you don't have a spare room, screens or cabinets can help divide your work and living spaces.

Install office equipment. Make sure you have a phone line and a computer (with high-speed Internet access) dedicated to your business. Install any necessary business software on the PC, and consider other office-grade equipment as needed: copiers, scanners, work desks, filing cabinets and the like.

Set a timetable. Keeping regular business hours (such as 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, with weekends off) will assist you in dealing with clients, customers, suppliers and vendors -- and make it easier for you to have a social life.

Fashion work hours around logical periods of productivity, such as when a spouse leaves for work or kids go off to school. If you live by yourself, set a finite end of the day.

Take breaks. A big challenge for home-based business owners is setting aside time for small breathers or lunch. Short breaks can reduce stress, improve productivity and prevent burnout.

Limit household tasks. Be disciplined about not letting household errands and chores interfere with your work day. Consider getting housekeeping help to free up more time and energy for work.

Get child care. While many parents choose to be home-based to be closer to their kids, young ones can easily distract you from work. Consider getting full- or part-time child-care help, or sharing responsibilities with a spouse or family members.

Communicate to others that you are really working. Make sure those close to you respect your decision to work at home. Ask friends and family not to call or stop by during the day, or if they do, to keep it brief.

Chris Russell, founder of the job-posting site AllCountyJobs.com in Trumbull, Conn., says even his wife, who works outside the home, sometimes forgets that he's trying to work. "My wife will say to me, 'Can you go to the dry cleaners for me? Can you start dinner early?' " he says. "I give her a little friendly reminder: 'I'm working, dear.' "