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KitchenAid KMT223CU 2-Slice Toaster, Countour Silver by KitchenAid

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List Price : $109.99

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The KitchenAid 2 Slice Toaster features an attractive metal housing that gives the toaster durability and style that you’ll love displaying on your countertop. The LCD display featured on this toaster remembers the last shading and function set, so you can get your toast the way you like it every time. A sleek, digital progress bar counts down time, so you’ll always know when your toast will be ready.

Feature

• Extra-wide 1 1/2-inch slots
• LCD display with digital progress bar
• Bagel, Defrost, and Reheat buttons
• One Touch Control - Raises and lowers bread on demand even in the middle of cycle
• All-metal construction (120 volt, 60 hz)

TAYLOR 79064101M Digital Glass Scale -by-TAYLOR from Taylor

List Price : $93.11

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TAYLOR 79064101M DIGITAL GLASS SCALE
400-LB CAPACITY IN .2-LB INCREMENTS; 8MM THICK TEMPERED GLASS PLATFORM WITH METALLIC BACK PAINTING; 13.4" X 12.2" PLATFORM; LARGE 1.97" DIGITAL READOUT IN A 3.8" X 2" DISPLAY WITH ACCU-GLO BLUE BACKLIGHT.; INCLUDES 1 LITHIUM BATTERY

Feature

• 400-lb capacity in .2-lb increments.
• 8mm thick tempered glass platform with metallic back painting.
• 13.4 inch x 12.2 inch platform.
• Large 1.97 inch digital readout in a 3.8 inch x 2 inch display with Accu-Glo blue backlight.
• Includes 1 Lithium battery.

Never Experienced Love

A relevant video I designed for my Video class towards the song Never Experienced Love, from songstowearpantsto.com.

toaster song

this can be a song about toaster ovens and spagetti. it's a little short, so if you wish to view it again, please.

Im a toaster!!!!!

RANDOMNESS......

Significant One-to-One Activities

Meeting the person quality of existence needs and interests of citizens in long-term care facilities is very the task for Activity Departments. Many citizens require face to face interventions for a number of reasons for example cognitive problems, severe physical restrictions, health problems and often, choice. Activity staff, volunteers, family people, site visitors, along with other healthcare companies can offer face to face activities which are significant to every resident.

When offering face to face activities you need to note that certain to 1 activities involves a couple for example resident and staff, peers, family and/or volunteers.The intervention is dependent around the needs and interests of the baby and really should reflect the excellent assessment. It's also smart to attempt to visit the same time frame and day and do not just visit have something prepared! Additionally, the resident's reaction to the face to face activity ought to be recorded within the permanent medical record.

Here are a few great ideas for you to one programming.

Activity A-la-Carte
Produce a trolley full of a number of leisure activity supplies and equipment for example word puzzles, books, magazines, current newspaper, trivia, reminiscing materials, craft projects (tip: create individual craft kits including all of the necessary supplies to accomplish the work and include a zip-lock baggie), physical kits, a number of balls, rhythm stick, Compact disc player with extra CD's, table games and puzzles of numerous dimensions and difficulty, manipulatives, etc.

Modified Physical Games, Sports and use
Citizens who don't take part in group activities, frequently aren't provided or offered the chance to sign up in physical games, sports or exercise. For citizens who're interested, offer 1x1 exercise and flexibility. But in addition sports and physical games, you are able to motivate citizens to sign up inside a One-One Sport's Competition. Select a sport or modified physical game for example bowling, basketball, horseshoes, beanbag toss game, etc. and score for every resident. Later on, announce the champion and provide a ribbon or certificate. And have a trolley full of a number of modified sports and refer to it as the "SportsMobile".

Art Trolley
Fill a trolley with a number of crafts and arts supplies and equipment. Remember sample finished projects and directions regarding how to complete the projects. Make sure to have large number of modified equipment for example dycem, modified scissors, large eyed needles, a clamp to carry projects, lacing cards, sponges for painting, large handled fresh paint brushes, and so forth.

Bookmobile
A bookmobile is mainly a completely independent activity by which citizens select a book or any other reading through material from the traveling trolley of books. When finished, the resident returns the lent item. You are able to turn this right into a face to face activity by simply investing a while using the resident and carrying out a book or literature review. Request the resident when they loved it. Who their most favorite character was. Least favorite character, the ending, etc.

Fitness Trail
Request the Physical Counselor for 10 simple flexibility or stretching activities, with accompany directions and film. Make each station as attractive as you possibly can, frame and hang up inside a hallway. The Fitness Trail might be employed by all facility staff, family people, volunteers and also the citizens. It's really a scheduled activity or perhaps a spontaneous one. You might want to incorporate the Fitness Trail into restorative programs and/or therapy too.

Individualized Physical Kits
Create individualized physical kits for individuals who take advantage of physical stimulation. Request family people to collect important and familiar products including favorite music, an award/trophy, family photos, favorite perfume or perfume, knick-knacks or memorabilia, something that the resident really treasured and loved previously. Please inform family people the products could get lo. make copies o family photos or perhaps possess the family have a picture of the item they they don't want to usher in for anxiety about losing. Attempt to create kits which include products for those six senses (sight, seem, touch, taste, smell, movement)

Individualized Reminiscing Kits
This is comparable to the Individualized Physical Kits above but focuses more about citizens with virtually no cognitive impairment. Family photos, family videos, scrapbooks, memorabilia, knick-knacks, travel photos, etc. are ideal for this kind of package.

Multi-Physical Trolley
Increasingly more facilities are coming up with Snoezelen Rooms or multi-physical rooms. You are able to bring the multi-physical experience towards the resident any place in the ability, be it inside a resident's room, a large part within the hallway, your day room, etc. You need to do require a quiet area that may be dim, but also for the intervention to become most effective. You will find several traveling-type Snoezelen buggies, and multi-physical buggies in the marketplace now. You may also help make your own by stocking a sturdy trolley with aromatherapy supplies, soothing sounds, a water panel or bubble tube, a projector, flavored lip lotions, perfumed creams, textured objects, etc. Caution: make sure to safely mount bubble towers, water sections, etc. for they might fall over easily and make up a large mess! (I understand from experience).

Photomurals
You will find various photomurals in the marketplace. Most of them can be put on the wall or on some form of portable, moving device. These wall art are frequently scenic and are an easy way to stimulate a homeowner, promote solace, spirituality and peace. Bedscapes Healing Conditions are beautiful fabric photomurals with associated Compact disc soundscapes. Bedscapes bring nature's restorative advantages to a person's bedroom for comfort, peace and relaxation and therefore are an excellent resource for individual and group activities. Wall art could be mounted on privacy curtains and walls.

Portable Seafood Tanks or Aquariums
Several Things Fishy sells a fish tank on wheels known as the Moving Ocean. It's some good features and could be folded from resident to resident. Most facilities possess a aquarium or aquarium within the lobby, and often within the day rooms. Getting a aquarium that's mobile can be very replicating or relaxing for a number of citizens. Consider for example the Moving Ocean or request the constant maintenance department whether they can mount a little aquarium to some trolley.

"RemoveInch Cooking
Possibly there's a homeowner which has loved cooking or baking previously, but does not enjoy group activities. Well, bring the cooking to his/her room. Many facilities possess a toaster, convention oven, break machine, popcorn popper, waffle maker, blender, etc. These home appliances are simple to use a trolley and produce to some resident in theOrher room. Make sure to consult with the resident what he/sherrrd like to prepare or bake and produce all of the elements. You might want to keep the prepare occasions brief though, unless of course a volunteer, staff or member of the family can be obtained for safety reasons.

Traveling Tunes
Generate a trolley with a number of music, CD's, cassettes, Compact disc/cassette player, apple ipods or Walkman's, earphones, etc. Visit citizens who enjoy music. Ensure that you possess the specific kind of music the citizens enjoy. Traveling Tunes may also be completed with live music like a keyboard (on the trolley), guitar, accordion, etc.

Trivia Contests
This is comparable to the modified physical game contest, but includes trivia questions rather. Provide the resident a place for every correct answer and tally in the points. Provide a certificate or trophy towards the person most abundant in points.

The most crucial part would be to create face to face activities and interventions which are of great interest to every person. With a few creativeness and adaptation, most group activities could be offered on the face to face basis
Getting a properly-planned, well-investigated program of face to face activities can help you greatly enhance the standard of existence for the citizens.

Big Boss Rapid Wave Halogen Infrared Convection Countertop Oven - 12 ½ Quart with Extender Ring Glass Bowl from Big Boss

List Price : $99.99

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The Big Boss Rapid Wave Oven is an innovative cooking system that fully roasts, broils, or bakes food up to three times faster than conventional ovens. This energy-efficient cooker harnesses halogen heat, convection, and infrared technologies to leave foods moist on the inside and crisp on the outside--without using cooking fats or oils. The Rapid Wave oven features simple controls, a see-through cooking bowl, removable trays, and a tightly sealing lid that locks in heat and moisture.

Rapid Wave Oven

At a Glance:

• Halogen, convection, and infrared heat for fast cooking
• Sealed lid keeps moisture in and saves heat and energy
• "Air-fry" foods without messy cooking oils
• Removable cooking racks adapts oven to your needs
• Transparent 12.5-quart cooking pot for larger dishes
• Quickly cooks from frozen, no thawing time needed
• 2 Trays cook multiple foods at the same time
• Uses less energy, cooking up to three times faster
• Safety handle on lid automatically turns the unit off when raised
  a. Cooks: roasted turkey- moist and browned in just 1 hour
  b. Breaded air-fried chicken- crispy and moist in just 35 mins
  c. Chicken quesadilla- great meal or snack in just 20 mins
  d. Chicken kabobs- bring grill flavor indoors in just 10 mins
  e. Strip steak- made to perfection in just 10 mins
  f. Salmon- melts in your mouth in just 15 mins
  g. Meatloaf- all time favorite comfort food in just 45 mins
  h. Air fried potatoes- perfectly seasoned and ready in just 20 mins
• 1300-watt, 12.5-quart capacity
• High-speed, low energy consumption

Three Types of Heat for Fast, Efficient Cooking

The Rapid Wave's design facilitates faster, more efficient cooking. Three types of heat--halogen, convection, and infrared--cook food thoroughly and evenly up to three times faster than a conventional oven. The 1300-watt oven quickly heats and cooks even frozen food, eliminating the need for thawing or defrosting. The tightly sealing lid ensures that heat and moisture stay inside the cooker, cutting cooking time and preventing energy waste. A steady base ensures that operation is always safe'.

Fries Foods without the Mess and Fat of Cooking Oils

The triple-action heat produced by the Rapid Wave "air-fries" foods without using fats or oils. This eliminates the need to keep oils on hand, make a mess, or add unnecessary fat to your meal. Even without oil, foods such as chicken wings or French fries end up browned and crisped on the outside, yet moist and juicy on the inside.

Two Removable Racks for Versatile Cooking

With two fully removable oven racks, the Rapid Wave lets you cook small items, like vegetables and hors d'oeuvres, at the same time. Or, by removing the racks, you can easily cook a large item such as a chicken or pot roast in the 12.5-quart pot. The pot and lid are transparent, so you can easily monitor how close your meal is to being done.

What's in the Box

Parts	Features
Main Oven Unit (includes lid, bowl, and base)	Glass lid features timer controls, temperature controls
Extender Ring	Increases capacity in order to cook larger foods
Low Cooking Rack	Main rack to cook foods
High Cooking Rack	Additional rack for extra food
Tongs	Use to lift hot trays with food from glass bowl
Instructions/Recipe Book	Contains important info as well as a variety of delicious recipes

The Rapid Wave Oven can roast, boil, or bake food in less time than a convetional oven. View larger.

Mutliple racks allow you to accurately cook a variety of foods. View larger.

Feature

• Triple cooking power: halogen, convection and infrared heat
• Roasts, broils, bakes, air fries, grills, boils and steams
• Dishwasher safe parts
• Cooks and fries without added oil
• Low fat cooking with ease

Amore La Vita Sterling Silver 3-D Enameled Toaster Oven w/Lobster Clasp Charm from Amore La Vita

We Are Excited to Introduce Our Most recent Amore La Vita Sterling Silver 3-D Enameled Toaster Oven w/Lobster Clasp Charm For You

Every once in a while a new product comes along to alter just how we live our lives. At Amore La Vita we all know that our latest Amore La Vita Sterling Silver 3-D Enameled Toaster Oven w/Lobster Clasp Charm is among these products. Since we are sure you are already aware a product doesn't need to be unique just to be fresh, it simply has to offer performance that's much superior or different than every other similar item out there. This is exactly what it requires for any item to be worthy of spending your money on.

After looking at what we are already selling effectively over the past couple of years, we determined there has never been a better period than now to fully revise the product. What we found is there is nothing as good as returning to inception and looking at a item to determine what we might do to make it better for you. what we developed is our company's most up-to-date Amore La Vita Sterling Silver 3-D Enameled Toaster Oven w/Lobster Clasp Charm and we are really certain you may be totally ecstatic with that we're featuring it at a special reduced price.

Not just did we go back to the beginning and construct the completely new Amore La Vita Sterling Silver 3-D Enameled Toaster Oven w/Lobster Clasp Charm from the beginning, we have incorporated a number of features that we are certain will leave its competitors sitting at the starting line. No time before has anyone supplied one of those products with the amount of additional extras at no extra cost. The product gives you the best value for your money that you are going to find any place.

List Price : $46.00

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Amore La VitaTM is perfect for all ages and lifestyles. With the vast selection of sterling silver charms, you will have jewelry that your friends and family will envy. Anyone can be a designer.

How you can Design and Layout a Cafe Or Espresso Bar

If you are planning to open an espresso bar/coffee shop, then developing an efficient store design and layout will be one of the most important factors in positioning your business for success.

Speed of service is critical to the profitability of a coffee business. An efficient ergonomic store design will allow you to maximize your sales by serving as many customers as possible during peak business periods. Even though your business may be open 12 to 16 hours a day, in reality, 80% of your sales will probably occur during 20% of those hours. Coffee is primarily a morning beverage, so your busy times of day (those times when you are most likely to have a line of waiting customers), may be from 6:30AM to 8:30AM, and then again around lunchtime. If you have a poor store layout, that does not provide a logical and efficient flow for customers and employees, then the speed of customer service and product preparation will be impaired.

Think of it like this; if someone pulls open the front door of your store, and they see 5 people are waiting in line to order, there's a good chance they'll come in, wait in line, and make a purchase. But, if they see that 20 people are waiting in line, there is a high probability that they may determine that the wait will be too long, and they will simply get coffee somewhere else. This is money that just escaped your cash register! And, if they come to your store multiple times, and frequently find a long line of waiting customers, they may decide you are not a viable option for coffee, and will probably never return. Poor design slows down the entire service process, resulting in a longer line of waiting customers, and lost sales. So in reality, your daily business income will be dependent upon how many customers you can serve during peak business periods, and good store design will be essential to achieving that objective!

The financial impact of a poor store design can be significant. For the sake of this example, let's say the average customer transaction for your coffee business will be .75. If you have a line of waiting customers each morning between 7:00 AM and 8:30 AM, this means you have 90 minutes of crunch time, in which you must drive through as many customers as possible. If you can service a customer every 45 seconds, you will serve 120 customers during this 90 minutes. But, if it takes you 1 minute 15 seconds to service each customer, then you will only be able to serve 72 customers. 120 customers x .75 = 0.00 x 30 business days per month = ,500. 72 customers x .75 = 0.00 x 30 business days per month = ,100. This represents a difference of ,400 in sales per month (,800 per year), coming from just 90-minutes of business activity each day!

So how should you go about designing your coffee bar? First, understand that putting together a good design is like assembling a puzzle. You have to fit all the pieces in the proper relationship to each other to end up with the desired picture. This may require some trial and error to get things right. I've designed hundreds of coffee bar over the past 15 years, and I can truthfully tell you from experience, it still usually takes me a couple of attempts to produce an optimal design.

The design process begins by determining your menu and other desired store features. If you plan to do in-store baking, then obviously you'll need to include in your plan an oven, exhaust hood, sheet pan rack, a large prep table, and perhaps a mixer. If you plan to have a private meeting room for large groups, then an extra 200 sq. ft. or more will need to be designed-in, in addition to the square footage you are already allocating for normal customer seating.

Your intended menu and other business features should also drive decisions about the size of location you select. How many square feet will be required to fit in all the necessary equipment, fixtures, and other features, along with your desired seating capacity?

Typically, just the space required for the front of the house service area, (cash register, brewing & espresso equipment, pastry case, blenders, etc.), back of the house (storage, prep, dishwashing and office areas), and 2-ADA restrooms, will consume about 800 sq. ft. If space for extensive food prep, baking, coffee roasting, or cooking will be required, this square footage may increase to 1,000 to 1,200, or more. What ever is left over within your space after that, will become your seating area.

So, a typical 1,000 sq. ft coffee bar, serving beverages and simple pastries only, will probably allow for the seating of 15 to 20 customers - max! Increase that square footage to 1,200 sq. ft., and seating should increase to 30, or 35. If you plan to prepare sandwiches, salads, and some other food items on site, 1,400 to 1,600 sq. ft. should provide enough space to seat 35 to 50, respectively.

Next, you will have to determine the tasks that will be performed by each employee position, so that the equipment and fixtures necessary to accomplish those tasks can be located in the appropriate places.

Normally, your cashier will operate the cash register, brew and serve drip coffee, and serve pastries and desserts. Your barista will make all your espresso-based beverages, tea, chai, hot chocolate, Italian sodas, as well as all the blender beverages. If you'll be preparing sandwiches, panini, wraps, salads, snacks and appetizers, or will be baking on-site, then a person dedicated to food prep will be necessary. And, if you anticipate high volume, and will be serving in or on ceramics, a bus-person/dishwasher may be a necessity.

After you have determined what you will be serving, the space you will be leasing, and what each employee will be responsible for, you will then be ready to begin your design process. I usually start my design work from the back door of the space and work my way forward. You'll need to design in all of the features that will be necessary to satisfy your bureaucracies and facilitate your menu, before you make plans for the customer seating area.

Your back door will most likely have to serve as an emergency fire exit, so you'll need a hallway connecting it with your dining room. Locating your 2-ADA restrooms off of this hallway would make good sense. And, because delivery of products will also probably occur through your back door, having access to your back of the house storage area would also be convenient.

In the back of the house, at minimum, you will need to include a water heater, water purification system, dry storage area, back-up refrigerator and freezer storage, ice maker, an office, 3-compartment ware washing sink, rack for washed wares, mop bucket sink, and a hand washing sink. Do any food prep, and the addition of a food prep sink and prep table will be necessary. If doing baking, gelato making, full cooking, or coffee roasting, all the equipment necessary for those functions will also need to be added.

After all the features have been designed into the back of the house, you will then be ready to start your design work on the front of the house service and beverage preparation area. This area will probably include a pastry case, cash register(s), drip coffee brewer and grinder(s), espresso machine and grinders, a dipper well, possibly a granita machine, blenders, ice holding bin, blender rinse sink, hand washing sink, under counter refrigeration (under espresso machine and blenders), and a microwave oven.

If serving food beyond simple pastries and desserts, you may need to add a panini toaster grill, a refrigerated sandwich/salad preparation table, soup cooker/warmer, a bread toaster, etc. If you plan to serve pre made, ready to serve sandwiches, wraps, and salads, along with a selection of bottled beverages, an open-front, reach-in merchandising refrigerator should be considered. Serving ice cream or gelato? If the answer is yes, then an ice cream or gelato dipping cabinet will be necessary along with an additional dipper well.

Finally, when all the working areas of the bar have been designed, the customer seating area can be laid out. This will, of course, include your cafe tables and chairs, couches and comfortable upholstered chairs, coffee tables, and perhaps a window or stand-up bar with bar stools. Impulse-buy and retail merchandise shelves should be established, and a condiment bar should be located close to where customers will pick-up their beverages.

A quick word about couches, large upholstered chairs, and coffee tables. Living room type furniture takes up a lot of space. If you plan to be opening evenings, and will perhaps serve beer and wine, and having comfortable seating will be important for creating a relaxing ambiance, then by all means do it. But if you have limited seating space, and are not trying to encourage people to relax and stay for long periods of time, then stick with cafe tables and chairs. The more people you can seat, the greater your income potential!

Features from the front door to the condiment bar should be arranged in a logical, sequential order. As your customers enter the front door, their travel path should take them past your impulse-buy merchandise display, and the pastry case, before they arrive at the point of order (where your cashier, cash register, and menu-board will be located). Exposing customers to your impulse items and pastries, before they order, will greatly increase their sales. Then, after the order and payment has been taken, they should proceed down-line away from the cash register to pick-up their beverage, and finally, the condiment bar should be located beyond that point. Be sure to separate your point of order from the point of product pick-up by at least six feet, otherwise customers waiting for their beverage may begin to intrude into the space of those ordering.

Don't make the mistakes that many inexperienced designers commonly make. They arrange these features in a haphazard way, so that customers have to change direction, and cut back through the line of awaiting customers to proceed to their next destination in the service sequence. Or, wanting to make their espresso machine a focal point to those entering the store, they place it before the cashier along the customer's path of travel. Customers inevitably end up trying to order from the barista before they are informed that they need to proceed to the cashier first. If this happens dozens of times each day, confusion and slowed beverage production will be the result.

On the employee's side of the counter, work and product flow are even more important. Any unnecessary steps or wasted movements that result from a less than optimal design will slow down employee production. All products should flow seamlesly in one direction towards the ultimate point of pick-up. For example, if preparing a particular item is a 3-step process, then placement of equipment should allow for the 3 steps to occur in order, in one linear direction, with the final step occurring closest to the point where customers will be served.

Equipment should be grouped together so that it is in the immediate proximity of the employee(s) who will be using it. Beyond the actual equipment, empty spaces must be left on the counter top to store ingredients and small wares (tools) used in product preparation. Counter top space will also be needed where menu items will actually be assembled. Think of the grouping of equipment for different job functions as stations. Try to keep different stations compact and in close working proximity to each other, but make sure that there is enough space between each so that employee working-paths don't cross, which could contribute to employee collisions.

Creating defined work stations will allow you to put multiple employees behind the counter when needed. When it is busy, you may need to have 2 cashiers, another person just bagging pastries and brewing coffee, 2 baristas behind the espresso machine, a maybe even a dedicated person working the blenders. If you're preparing sandwiches and salads to order, then another person may need to be added to handle that task. Keeping your stations in close proximity to each other will allow one employee to easily access all equipment during very slow periods of business, thus saving you valuable labor dollars.

When you arrange equipment in relationship to each other, keep in mind that most people are right handed. Stepping to the right of the espresso machine to access the espresso grinder will feel more comfortable than having to move to the left. Likewise, place your ice storage bin to the right of your blenders, so when you scoop ice, you can hold the cup or blender pitcher in your left hand, and scoop with your right.

As you create your store layout, the equipment you select should fit your space and the needs of your anticipated business volume. A busy location will most likely require a dual or twin, air pot, drip coffee brewer (one that can brew 2 pots at the same time), as opposed to a single brewer. If you anticipate selling a lot of blended and ice drinks, then an under counter ice maker, one that can only produce 100 pounds of ice or less per day, will not be sufficient. You should instead locate a high-capacity ice maker (one that can make 400 or 500 lbs. per day) in the back of the house, and transport ice to an ice holding bin up front. Plan to bring in frozen desserts and ice cream? Then a 1 door reach-in freezer in the back of he house will probably be inadequate for you storage needs, so you'll need to consider a 2 or 3 door. I always recommend a 3-group espresso machine for any location that may generate 150 drinks per day or more. And, I can tell you from experience, you can never have too much dry or refrigerated storage space!

Make sure that any equipment you select will be acceptable with your local bureaucracy before your purchase and take delivery of it. All equipment will typically need to be NSF & UL approved, or have a similar, acceptable, foreign certification equivalent. Your bureaucracy will most likely want to see manufacturer specification sheets on all equipment to verify this fact, before they'll approve your plans.

ADA (American's with Disabilities Act) compliance will also come into play when you are designing your coffee bar. In some areas of the country, this will only apply to those areas of your store that will be used by customers. However, other bureaucracies may require your entire store to be ADA compliant. Following are some of the basic requirements of compliance with the code:

• All hallways and isle ways must be 5 feet wide (minimum).

• All countertop working heights must be 34 inches high (instead of normal 36 inch height).

• 18 inches of free wall space must be provided on the strike-side of all doors (the side with the door knob).

• All hand-washing sinks must be ADA friendly.

• All bathrooms must be ADA compliant (5 foot space for wheelchair turnaround, handrails at toilet, acceptable clearance around toilet and hand washing sink, etc.).

• No steps allowed, ramps are OK with the proper slope.

• If your space has multiple levels, then no feature may exist on a level where handicapped access has not been provided, if that same feature does not exist on a level where it will be accessible.

You can find the complete regulations for ADA compliance at the following website:

http://www.access-board.gov/adaag/html/adaag.htm

Beyond the basic Equipment Floor Plan, showing new partitions, cabinets, equipment, fixtures, and furnishings, you'll need to produce some additional drawings to guide your contractors and satisfy the bureaucracies.

Electrical Plan

An electrical plan will be necessary to show the location of all outlets needed to operate equipment. Information such as voltage, amperage, phase, hertz, special instructions (like, "requires a dedicated circuit"), and the horizontal and vertical location of each outlet, should all be specified.

A small, basic coffee shop might get away with a 200 amp service, but typically 400 amps will be required if your equipment package will include items like an electric water heater, high-temperature dishwasher, or cooking equipment (ovens, panini grill, etc.).

In addition to the electrical work required for your coffee business-specific equipment, you may need to adjust existing electrical for additional or reconfigured lighting, HVAC, general-purpose convenience outlets, and exterior signs. Also, have your electrician run any needed speaker wires, TV/internet cables, and cash register remote receipt printer cables at the same time they are installing electrical wires. Finally, make sure your electrician makes provisions for lighted exit signs, and a battery-powered emergency evacuation lighting system, if needed.

Plumbing Plan

A plan showing all plumbing features will be necessary. At minimum, this should show stub-in locations for all needed water sources (hot & cold), drains, your water heater, water purifications system, grease interceptor (if required), bathroom fixtures, etc.

While a typical P-trap drain should be acceptable for most fixtures and equipment, some will require an air-gap drain. An air gap drain does not go through the "S"-shaped twists of the P-trap. Instead, the drain line comes straight down from the piece of equipment or fixture, and terminates 2 inches above the rim of a porcelain floor sink drain. This porcelain drain basin is usually installed directly into the floor. The air gap between the drain line from your equipment or fixture, and the bottom of the basin, prevents any bacteria in the sewer pipe from migrating into the equipment or fixture. I drain the following pieces of equipment to a floor sink drain when creating a plumbing plan:

• espresso machine

• dipper wells

• ice maker

• ice holding bin

• food prep sink

• soft drink dispensing equipment

To save on the life of your water filtration system, only your espresso machine and coffee brewer should be supplied by with treated water. Coffee is 98% to 99% water, so good water quality is essential. Your ice maker should only require a simple particle filter on the incoming line (unless your water quality is terrible). There is no need to filter water that will be used for hand and dish washing, cleaning mops, flushing toilets, and washing floors!

Be aware that many bureaucracies are now requiring a grease interceptor on the drain line from your 3-compartment ware washing sinks and automatic dishwasher. A grease interceptor is basically a box containing baffles that traps the grease before it can enter the public sewer system.

Also understand that a typical retail space will not come equipped with a water heater with enough capacity to handle your needs. Unless your space was previously some type of a food service operation, you will probably need to replace it with a larger one.

If cutting trenches in the floor will be necessary to install porcelain floor sinks, a grease interceptor, and run drain lines, then establishing a few general purpose floor drains at this same time behind the counter, and in the back of the house, will prove useful. Floor drains will allow you to squeegee liquids away when spills occur, and when washing floors.

Finally, if you added some new walls during your remodel, you may need to have the fire sprinkler system for your space adjusted or reconfigured.

Cabinet Elevations

Drawing cabinet elevations, (the view you would have if you were standing in front of your cabinets), will be necessary for your cabinet maker to understand all the features they will need to incorporate into your cabinet designs.

These elevations are not meant to be shop fabrication drawings for your cabinetmaker, but merely serve a reference, showing needed features and desired configuration. Where do you want drawers, and under counter storage space; and, where do you want cabinet doors on that under counter storage? Where should open space be left for the placement of under counter refrigeration and trashcans? Will cup dispensers be installed in the cabinet face under the counter top? These elevations will provide your cabinetmaker with a clear understanding of all these features.

While your kitchen base cabinets at home are typically 24 inches deep, for commercial applications they should be 30 inches deep, and 33 inches if an under counter refrigerator is to be inserted. Also, when specifying the size of an open bay to accommodate under counter refrigeration, be sure to allow a couple of inches more than the physical dimensions of the equipment, so that it can be easily inserted and removed for daily cleaning.

Dimensions Plan

You will need to create a floor plan showing all the critical dimensions for new partitions, doors, cabinets, and fixtures. This will, of course, help make sure that everything ends up where it is suppose to be, and will be the right size.

A final thought about design; unless the space you will be designing is a clean vanilla shell (meaning, nothing currently exists in the space, except perhaps one ADA restroom), you will have to make sure that all the features that you are considering keeping, will be acceptable with your local bureaucracy. Many older buildings were not designed to present codes. If the business type remains the same (your space was occupied by a food service establishment before you), then some times any non compliant features will be grandfathered-in, meaning you don't have to bring them up to current requirements. But don't count on this! You need to check with your bureaucracies to make sure. More and more I see bureaucracies requiring new business owners to remodel, so that all features are compliant with codes. This means you may have to rip-out bathrooms and hallways, add fire sprinkler systems, and provide ramps where there are steps. Better you know all these things before you begin your store design!

I always tell my consulting clients, that if I produce a perfect design and layout for them, they will never notice... because everything will be exactly where you would expect it to be. Unfortunately, if you create a less than optimal design for your coffee bar, you probably won't realize it until you start working in it. Changing design mistakes or inadequacies after the fact, can be extremely expensive. Not correcting those mistakes may even cost you more in lost potential sales. For this reason, I strongly suggest using an experienced coffee business space designer to create your layout for you, or at very least, to review the design you have created. Doing so will payoff with dividends.

Beautiful Porcelain Tile Jobs are Feasible For the newbie

Anyone with a little care and patience can install beautiful ceramic or glass tile work. You will find that with a little care in layout of the tile, choosing the right color combinations and sizes of your tile and then carefully installing the tile can result in work that you will be proud to show off to your friends and you can save large sums of cash as an extra bonus.

TOOLS AND MATERIALS REQUIRED - Paper pad, pencil, measuring tape, 2" level, chalk line, tile cutter (you may rent one by the day at most rental stores or buy an inexpensive one for less than ), sponges, bucket for clean water, bucket for mixing grout, grout, pre-mix tile adhesive, latex (rubber) gloves and a sponge float or two and a water bucket.

LAYOUT - Start with a small project. Perhaps a countertop or backsplash in the kitchen or perhaps a sink backsplash in the bathroom. Using a pad and pencil sketch the surface you are going to apply tile to and measuring each dimension of the work. A typical area sketch will show all dimensions from wall to wall, floor to ceiling for whatever surface where you are going to install tile. Keep your measurements accurate. Tile is expensive so limit your waste.

COUNTERTOP - The countertop must be very stable and solid. A double layer of ¾ plywood or ceramic tile cement backer board and a layer of ¾" plywood is a minimum. Cement backer board is available under different trade names but is especially made for ceramic tile. Make sure it is secured properly. Cutting can be done with a power saw and carbide blade but causes a great deal of dust so cut it outside and use safety glasses and a dust mask. Backer board in sink areas is recommended.

For this example, we are going to install tile on a kitchen countertop. When we measure the countertop area, we find it is 2'-0" (24") deep or wide and 10'-0" (120") long. A little math tells us we have 20 square feet (SF) of surface to work with. (2'x10'=20'). Now we pick out our tile. The most common kitchen countertop ceramic tile size is 4 1/4" x 4 ¼" but you may use any size tile you would like. Tile comes in 12" x 12", 1" x1" (mosaic), 6" x 6", 8" x8" and even larger tiles are available. Some countertops are done in broken tile pieces to create a really different design of your own. Off to the store we go. You will find dozens of sizes and colors to choose from at most tile stores, and large retail home stores. Making this choice can sometimes be the hardest part of this job. Purchase the tile you like and get 20SF plus 2SF extra for special cuts. If you have chosen a stock tile, you can always go back and get a few more pieces to finish. If you have chosen a close-out or special sale tile, get plenty (perhaps 30SF) as there may not be any left when you go back. Purchase all the other supplies at this time. The salesperson can help you figure out the amount of adhesive and grout you need but all packages have approximate square footage of coverage on them.

INSTALLATION - Start by dry laying the tile on the countertop. Place full pieces at the front edge and working to the back of the counter. If you find you have a very small piece at the back, say ½" wide, try spreading out the tile a little to increase the grout joint width to take up this space. You do not want to try and install these tiny pieces of tile. Do the same for the length of the top. If you find you have approximately a ½ tile or more at the back of the top that's great. It is the least seen part of the countertop. Once you set your toaster, blender, bread box and can opener on the counter, the back edge almost disappears. Using your 2' level as a straightedge, make a pencil line from front to back and square to the front edge of the counter. If you have a 2' framing square this is the time to use it. Just place one leg against the front of the counter and the other leg will be square. Make sure the trim along the front edge of the counter is nailed tightly and is level with the top of the tile. Front trims are usually wood but counter edge tiles are available if you like that look. Purchase enough lineal footage of edge tile to go end to end of the counter top. If you are using edge tile, these will be the first pieces installed. Edge pieces come in 6", 8" and custom lengths but is not recommended to try and line them up with the countertop tiles. Starting with a ½ tile, install the edge tiles from one end to the other. A support ledger should be installed under the bottom leg of the tile as a temporary support until the adhesive dries. Spread some adhesive along side the pencil mark you made for the square line. Spread only a little at first until you get used to the time it takes to install the tile and the setting time for the adhesive. You don't want to try and remove dried adhesive. As you place the tile, twist the tile slightly to assure you have full contact with the adhesive below.

Ok, you placed the first 6 tiles. Are the lines straight? Are the tops of the tiles level and even? Are the spaces between the tiles all the same? Plastic spacers are available for various widths of grout spaces and are a good idea for your first project but your eye is usually the best way to judge this. For a short time, you can move the tile around to get the best spacing. Now go ahead with the rest pf the tile making sure you do not place adhesive where the cut tile will go. A small spackle knife can easily remove any adhesive accidentally spread into those areas. Return the adhesive to the bucket ONLY IF IT'S clean! You don't want dirt or other debris in your adhesive as it will make a bump under your other tile. You will find it gets easier and easier. Install all your full tile first. Take another good look at your work. Are the tile joints straight from end of end of the counter? Adjust them now. Tile cutting is really easy but try a piece as a sample. Measure the space you have for the cut tile and deduct the width of your grout joints. Carefully mark the tile and place it in the cutter. Follow the cutter instructions. You will find it does not take a great deal of pressure on the handle to score the tile. Press on the handle and it will snap the tile on your score mark. Practice a little. (remember the extra tile you bought?) Don't get upset if you crack a few or the tile does not snap on your mark. They are cast ceramic and contain air bubbles and other imperfections that sometimes causes them to crack unevenly. Install the cut pieces but hand "buttering" (placing the adhesive on the backs of the tile) and placing them one by one until you have them all installed. Clean all you tools carefully. It is almost impossible to remove dried adhesive. Check over your work and make sure you did not leave adhesive sticking up out of any joint or on the face of the tiles. Using a damp sponge and your spackle knife, carefully remove any excess adhesive. Let the tile dry 24 hours.

GROUTING - Grout comes in both sanded and non-sanded types. Sanded types are intended for use where you have larger grout joints such as floors. Non-sanded is generally for walls and countertops. Mix your grout in a small, paper bucket available at paint or hardware stores. You will most likely want to throw it away when you are done. Grout also comes in many colors with color being the choice of the buyer. You should not however use a white grout in kitchen counters as food stuffs, oils and other kitchen items can quickly stain it. Try to stay to a darker color. Leave white for the bathroom. There are grays, pewter, off-whites and other colors than will compliment your tile color. You may want to wear gloves for this part as grout can stain your skin. Some people are allergic to latex so rubber gloves are also fine. Place a small amount of the mixed gout on the tile. Yes, right on top of the tile. Using your sponge float, push the grout down into the joints working at a 45 degree angle to the joints as much as possible. You will find you will have to push and prod the grout into corners and edges but it's all technique. You will quickly develop one of your own. Scrape the excess grout off the tile with the edge of the sponge float. Make sure the joints are all filled and are slightly below the top of the tile just a little bit. Never leave it above the top of the tile. Work a small area at a time. As you work, keep an eye on the completed areas. They will quickly develop a haze over the tile from the drying grout. Do not leave this haze on tile. It will be extremely hard to remove later if possible at all. Using your bucket of clean water and another clean sponge (6"-8" long is best) gently wipe the excess grout that has dried on the tile being careful not to wipe the grout out of the joints again at a 45 degree angle to the joints when possible. You will have to repeat this cleaning 2-3 times to get it all off the tile but eventually the haze will stop appearing. Remember, do not wipe the grout out of the joints. You can use your sponge to reshape damaged joints or place a little grout somewhere you missed but timing is everything. If done while the grout is still wet, you will never see this touchup work. Once all the grout is installed and wiped clean, you are done. Let the grout dry for at least 24 hours before cleaning the countertop or placing items upon it.

WALL TILE- Wall tile installation is basically the same as a countertop with a few exceptions. Ceramic tile on walls must be installed on either water resistant drywall (green board) but cement backer board is amuch better job. Tile generally is subject to high water use around sinks and toilets for example, so a water resistant backer is important. Shower areas MUST have cement backer board for long life of your wall. We mentioned the use of tile spacers and this is a good place for them. They will help keep the tile from sliding down, closing the grout joint while the adhesive is still wet. Joint spacers come loose in a package or sometimes on a card connected with those little plastic ends like model airplane parts. Just snap them off as you use them placing one or two in each joint. Once the adhesive dries, you can pull them out and use them again and again. Layout remains the same as before. In this case you want your cut pieces to be at the floor on top of the baseboard. This is least viewable area. If you are using ceramic tile baseboard, install these pieces first making sure they are level across the entire wall. Make your plumb starting line as before and start your tile along this line to assure straight vertical lines. Step back often and admire your work. Make sure the grout line spaces are straight!

CUTTING-Cutting small pieces of tile is the same as a countertop. Use your tile cutter. Once you encounter an outlet box however, these require a little extra work. If you are very lucky the outlet box is between two tile or at the edge of one tile. You can cut the sides of the box using a carbide blade and grinder or a portable ceramic tile saw. (These are also available at your rental store by the day). Cut the sides first and the score the top of the box mark. Using a pair of square jawed pliers, grip the tile firmly and snap out the piece. WEAR YOUR GLOVES AND SAFTEY GLASSES! Small chips and grinding dust can easily cause an eye injury. Ok, you broke the tile. Try again. When you get one done the rest will be easy. The cover plate will cover any space around the outlet as long as you keep the cut fairly close. Test fit the tile dry. If it fits and the cover will cover the gaps, go ahead and install it. Circles are a little harder. These can be made with a grinder if they are large enough circles but for small circles a Dremel tool or drill with a carbide drill bit works best. You can drill a series of holes along the line as close together as possible and then snap out the remaining piece. Using the grinder or Dremel, grind away any parts that need to be removed to get the finished opening. Test fit it dry first. These are the basic items you will encounter in a wall project. Grouting is the same as a countertop. Work small areas, be careful to remove the haze as you proceed and do not wipe out the grout joints. Tiles can also be installed at a diagonal to the walls to make the room appear larger or create visual interest.

FLOORS-Floor tiles are generally 12' x12" but come in other sizes as well. Special made pieces such as emblems, decorative plaques and borders are all available to be included in your floor layout. Layout is a little different for a floor than a wall or countertop. You want to hide the cuts if at all possible under the toe kicks of the base counters. At the same time you want the tile to appear evenly spaced within the room. Starting at the entrance doorway, mark the centerline of the door opening and chalk a line across the entire room square to the doorway. Now measure from the layout line to each side wall. Does the tile work out to even tile? Does it work out to equally sized cut pieces? That would be ideal. A persons eye tricks them into thinking that if the tile line in the middle of the door they entered is centered and straight, the whole floor is centered and straight. There is nothing wrong if you have different sized pieces on each side. With cabinets the fridge and other appliances, the edges are barely visible but the center of the floor is always visible. Once again, dry lay some tile from your layout line at the doorway centerline to the walls. Take a good look. Is this what you want to see when it is finished? If it is, go ahead and start the installation following all the guidelines for walls and counters as to how to proceed. Tile joints in floors are always wider than walls or countertops. 3/8" joints are common but I have seen ½" joints that look great. It is your decision as to what you want to see. You are also going to use sanded grout for your floors. It is stronger than un-sanded grout and the sand adds extra strength to the grout for the larger joints. You will use LOTS of grout for a floor compared to a countertop. The use of ¾' power drill and grout mixer paddle is recommended but you can hand mix it. It is a lot of hard work. Placement of the grout is the same, work small areas, cleaning the tile as you go and so on. Keep off the finished tile for at least 24 hours. It may look dry but it is not. Walking on un-dried adhesive can twist a tile out of line and look terrible forever. Chiseling out a hardened tile and resetting it is no fun at all.

CRACKED TILE-I will touch on these for a moment as these styles are coming into use more and more each day. Cracked tile tops are made with bits and pieces of many different tiles that you have gathered or purchased at your local tile store. If your are looking for a mixed color top of red and green, get some red and green tiles that are the colors you like and we will break them. You can mix lots of colors for a true random colored mosaic looking piece. Place the tiles in a good paper sack and place it on the floor (preferably not ceramic). Use your sidewalk. Wearing your safety glasses and gloves strike the tile with a hammer breaking them into small pieces. Keep checking the bag. Pieces ½" to 1" are great but the smaller the pieces are, the more pieces you have to install. Smaller pieces will give a more mosaic like look and can be well worth the effort. With your prices ready, draw the pattern or rough picture you are trying to create. If you are trying totally random, just make sure the colors are well mixed. If you are creating a picture or distinct pattern, apply your tile adhesive directly onto the piece of tile and then place it. This will keep your layout lines visible and allow you stop work whenever you tire. The rest of the installation is the same as other tile work. Work clean and keep your tools clean. Let your work dry well before applying grout.

MOSAIC TILE- Mosaic tile comes from the factory glued to an often sized 12" x 18" plastic grid sheet as a base to hold dozens of tile at once. When installing mosaic tile on a floor or wall, this saves hours of labor in that you can set 12" x 18" of tile at once and not have to apply each 1 x1" tile by itself. When doing custom work, you want to install each tile one at a time. The tile will simply snap off the sheet or you may use a razor knife to slice off sections to infill your pattern perhaps 2,10 or 20 pieces at a time. Mosaic tile is used by artists and craftsmen worldwide to create beautiful pieces of work from pottery to wall and floor designs or a picture to hand on the wall for decoration. The designs are limitless and are limited only by your imagination. Mosaic tiles are very, very hard but can still cut with great care. When working with small pieces be careful when using power tools to cut the pieces and keep your fingers away from the blade. Always, always use your safety glasses and gloves. Cut tile can leave very sharp edges to cut you. A gentle rubbing of the tile edge on sandpaper will help remove this sharp edge. HINT-Watch in your local tile store or home center for busted boxes or odd sheets of tile people have returned. You maybe able to get a great price on these far less than retail and the stores clean up the mess. It can provide you with a far greater choice of colors to work with without having to stock whole sheets of odd colors. Create away!

A few extra hints. There are various products on the market for waterproofing your tile grout joints. Most are silicone based products that are applied with a brush or self-contained roller applicator. These do work but need upkeep by the reapplication of the silicone to maintain the seal. Oft times, the silicone discolors from cleaning agents or sunlight and does become unattractive. It is difficult to remove in these cases so caution should be used in using them. Keeping the joints clean and the occasional touchup of the grout should be all that is needed for long life.

With practice you can create some rather outstanding ceramic tile work. There is no limit what you can do with designs, colors, or even pictures within your tile work. Try it!

We have covered the basics of ceramic tile setting along with helpful hints on safety and buying. Keep you safety glasses and gloves handy and use them! Eyes cannot be replaced! Good luck with your projects.

Pete Your Friendly Building Inspector

http://www.Wagsys.com

BICES-Building Inspection & Code Enforcement Software

School year memorys

School year memorys.

Russell Hobbs Glass Touch Kettle & Toaster.mpg

The Russell Hobbs Glass Touch Kettle and Toaster. Produced from glass sections with touch control sections using the kettle offering multiple temperature setting for ...

The start!!

Greetings! We're Haley and Kim!! Question- (Haley's personal youtube acc) Rayne-(Kim's personal youtube acc) 1 / 2 of her title 1 / 2 of my title, simple as that....

Webcam Confessions

The somewhat vague facts of the confused video blogger. I've no reason behind this movie. Enjoy!

Ive had a large bag of crabs

Song by certainly one of my fellow youtubers.

Expat Existence in Sri Lanka, Colombo

I lately visited the great island of Sri Lanka, and located a rustic filled with surprises.

Sri Lanka can be found just south asia, within the Indian Sea. Once referred to as Dominium of Ceylon and frequently known to because the tea country, tea farms abundantly thrive over the island, with spice gardens, blueberry and coconut palms growing at random to produce a jungle of natural assets.

People, creatures and transport appear to co-exist alongside without any bitterness towards one another. Dogs question aimlessly across or bask under the sun beside streets, cows and goat's roam around everywhere, even around the beaches (that we found rather amusing) and individuals abound, whether walking, cycling, utilizing a tuc-tuc, motorbike with 5 astride, inside a taxi, bus, vehicle or truck, each occupies an area from the much less wide road. But co-exist they are doing, there's no anger at being stuck behind a truck, basically a brief hooting from the horn to state I'm here and also pass, pleasantness develops and also the expression and sounds are of friendliness, within a nation that sorely needs help at redeveloping itself because the tsunami. Individuals are poor but happiness is everywhere.... Not only for that child around the stylish or even the person in their side, however for expats and vacationers too.

Vacationers fluctuate for the resorts plus some chance areas slightly outdoors of those areas, to get a quieter less bothered holiday. Small pockets of expats are available, dotted from coast to coast. Whenever you encounter these folks and talk about existence around the island, there's very little to complain about. Yes, sometimes water will get switched off or even the electricity, yes the web isn't as fast because they wish it to be. Is not that how many people feel in developed nations anyway: The faster it will get the faster we would like it. Within this little bit of paradise, expats aren't very worried that it requires longer to complete things here, the folks are ready to wait, much less rash to maneuver forward too rapidly. There is lots of talk and worry about the elections and safety inside the country and you will find still road blockades and police / military personnel with guns wandering around keeping peace if required. However, with 70% of people being Buddhists, the life-style is peaceful and existence simplistic.

From an expat perspective, I possibly could not fault the life-style. As stated above, yes you will find definite things missing, situations are reduced, it requires a great four to six hrs to obtain from Colombo to Galle together with to anywhere about 200km's apart. I am unable to state that the streets are specifically in good shape, however in the ten days which i visited, I didn't see one accident. Struggles could include the possible lack of getting in one area of the island to a different rapidly, the possible lack of fast web connection, possibly a persons waste / refuse, which enables for that increase of flies, the grime that is left to lie around and finally the possible lack of funds to rebuild the nation as to the it had been prior to the Tsunami.

With that said, I must look whatsoever the great stuff that you discover there, the good thing about natural assets, the way the excellent and expats are attempting to rebuild the nation, beaches, game parks and mountain tops. This really is a classic beautiful place in the world.

Expat Living costs summary

The currency in Sri Lanka may be the Sri Lankan Rupee LKR

The Exchange rate as at 15 The month of january 2010 was = 114.217 Rupees

I will break the Living costs lower based on a few of the basket products:

Alcohol and Tobacco: Alcohol at Bar, Beer, Cigarettes, In your area Created Spirit, Whiskey, Wine

Cigarettes (20s) - .14 to

Domestic Beer(500ml) - .50

Imported Beer (330ml) - .80

Wine in a bar - a glass

Wine in a shop - (750ml bottle)

Hotels often boost the prices of alcohol because it is the main one way that they'll earn profits. You will find many small hotels and restaurants which produce a edge against your competitors to where one can stay.

Clothing: Office Attire, Casual Clothing, Children's Clothing and shoes, Jackets and hats, Evening Put on, Shoe Repairs, Under garments

Casual Lengthy Sleeved Shirt (Males) -

Casual Lengthy Sleeved Pants (Males) -

Shorts (Males) -

T-Shirt (Males) -

Casual Blouse (Women) -

Casual Skirt (Women) -

Children's Jeans (Boys) -

Children's Jeans (Women) - .50

Children's Shirt(Boys) -

Children's Shirt(Women) -

Clothing is very cheap, in Colombo an individual can get the majority of the title top quality clothing at fairly inexpensive price points in Factory shops.

Communication: Home Telephone Rental and Call Charges, Web Connection and repair provider costs, Mobile / Mobile Phone Contract and Calls

Monthly phone rental - .36

Telephone call rate - $.05 for any local call

Internet line connection fee - 4 (buy all equipment with installation)

Isp fee - (1 geg free after that)

Monthly mobile contract fee - .18 (for that year)

Mobile / cellular call rate - 90% of phones are prepaid,

Cell Phone 100 Minutes Call -

- $.012 - $.05 sms peak occasions

Because of numerous excellent working overseas to transmit money home, the communication cost is very low and you will find frequently deals or cost-free is active in the actual call.

Education: Creche / Pre-School Costs, Senior High School / College Costs, Primary School Costs, Tertiary Study Costs

Annual Creche fee - .36 monthly

Annual Primary school fee - 0 - 6 monthly

Annual Senior High School fee - 0 - 6 monthly

Annual first Year Tertiary / College fee - 0 to 6 monthly (determined by which

private school they're going to)

Private schooling is easily the most costly around the island for expat children to go to, nevertheless the rates compared to other nations are reasonable. Expats which i discovered spoke highly from the education system in the united states and were pleased with the non-public education their children were receiving.

Furniture and Home appliances: DVD Player, Appliance, Iron, Kettle, Toaster, microwave, Bulbs, Television, Vacuum, Washer

DVD Player -

Fridge / Freezer - 9 (LG / Whirlpool - college guarantee)

Iron - cheap to top of the line

Kettle - cheap to top of the line

Microwave - 1

TV 21 inch - 4 (two year guarantee)

Washer LG - 0

Discount rates could be discussed with stores on all products

Groceries bought inside a supermarket: Baby Consumables, Baked Goods, Baking, Canned Meals, Cheese, Cleaning Items, Dairy, Fruits, Fresh Veggies, Fruit Drinks, Frozen, Meat, Oil & Vinegars, Commercial Dog Food, Pre-Prepared Foods, Sauces, Sea food, Snacks, Sodas, Spices or herbs & Herbal treatments

Powdered baby formula (400g) -

Plain biscuits (100g) - $.20

Loaf whitened bread (200g) - $.70

Cake Flour (1kg) - .80

Baked Beans (415g) - .92

Tuna (185g) - .75

Cheese: Cheddar (250g) - .63

Crisps: Pringles (139g) - .50

Autowash clothing powder (750g) - .57

Dishwash liquid (500g) - $.87

Clothing Softener (2l) - .40

Whole Wheat Toast (250g) - .45

Butter (227g) - .18

Milk (1l) - .40

Eggs (12) - .80

Orange Juice (1l) - .80

Frozen Mixed Veggies (1kg) - .20

Oil (1l) - .22

Essential olive oil (500ml) - .28

Can of cola (355ml) - .00

Local Fizzy Soda (1l) - .30

Local Natural Standard Water (5l) - .08

Tea Bags (200g) - .85

Instant Coffee (100g) - .75

Local Ground Coffee (200g) - .66

Salt (400g) - $.26

Pepper (400g) - $.35

Prices were acquired from local supermarkets, you will find no large shops to look in.

Health care: Doctor Consultation rates, Hospital Private Ward Daily, Rate, Non-Prescription Drugs, Private Health Care Insurance / Medical Aid Contributions

GP Private rate visit with meds - .50

Hospital Private ward rates - each day

Dentistry - Tooth extraction - .35

Most expats use Bupa or even the Sri Lankan Equivalent

Household: House / Flat Mortgage, House / Flat Rental, Household Electricity Consumption, Household Gas / Fuel Consumption, Household Water Consumption, Local Property Rates / Taxes / Levies

Rent 2 mattress Apartment City Center - 0

Rent 2 mattress Apartment outdoors of City Center - 0

Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage per - to monthly to have an average

household, this really is costly when taking household

ac into consideration

Gas / Fuel - 12 ½ kg bottle -

Local property Rates - eight to tenPercent of worth of property

Expats cannot purchase a property directly, this needs to be achieved using a Lawyer who is the owner of the home. Mortgage for local people is 4/5%. This is when most expats discover the costs slip in, running the air conditioning units is very costly along with the price of water.

Miscellaneous: Domestic Help, Dry Cleaning, Linen, Office Supplies Online, Newspapers and Magazines, Postage Stamps

Domestic Rates - full-time per person - average

1 Black printing device cartridge -

1 Color printing device cartridge -

500 sheets printer paper - .23

Local Daily Newspaper - $.17

Worldwide Daily Newspaper - $.45

Worldwide Magazine -

Worldwide Airmail Stamps - $.22

Domestic Stamps - $.12

Domestic assistance is cheap and many employees either survive the home or near by. Office supplies online are reasonable, with CD's and DVD's freely available in the pub where most local people purchase them.

Personal Care: Cosmetics, Hair care, Moisturizer / Sun Screen Lotion, Diapers, Discomfort Relief Pills, Toilet Tissue, Tooth paste, Cleaning soap / Shampoo / Conditioner

Body product (400ml) Vaseline Intensive vehicle - .53

Toilet tissue 1 ply per roll - $.50

Tooth paste (200g) - .92

Shampoo (200ml) - .40

A few of the products that may be bought could be costly, like creams, sunblocks and cosmetic creams. Title brand items would be the most costly.

Entertainment and Culture: Books, Camera Film, Cinema Ticket, DVD and CD's, Sports goods, Theatre Ticket

Books paper back -

Cinema ticket - $.50

DVD / Compact disc Imported -

Cricket ticket - $.50 to

Theatre Ticket - only in Colombo -

Hard cover books are costly in the united states, but paper back books have an identical cost towards the US and United kingdom. Cinema tickets are cheap because of the supply of cheap DVD replicas which may be bought on street corners. Worldwide cricket tickets will also be stored cheap for that local population.

Restaurants / Foods out / Hotels: Business Dinner, Dinner at Restaurant (non junk food), Hotel Rates, Remove Drinks & Snacks (junk food)

Business Dinner excl Alcohol - per person

Dinner / lunch at local restaurant - per person

McDonalds Large Mac - .10

Hotel Rates 3* - to pppn

Hotel Rates 4* - to 0 pppn

Hotel Rates 5* - 0 pppn upwards

Remove - Can of cola x 1 - $.70

Medium pizza - .50

Hamburger - .00

Coffee - pot x 3 cups - .40

As with most nations just how much you have to pay for any meal relies upon in which you go, the neighborhood restaurants have great local foods, in addition to worldwide flavours, we found a wonderful vegetarian restaurant in Galle, really worth a trip and all sorts of prices were fairly cheap. Some restaurants do make use of the tourist population and serve sub-standard foods. However, most restaurants were good using their portions and diet plans.

Transport: Hire Purchase / Lease of car, Gas / Diesel, Trains And Buses, Service Maintenance, Tyres, Vehicle Insurance, Vehicle Purchase

Hire / Lease vehicle - Sedan Toyota Corolla - .14 each day for 7 days

Hire / Lease vehicle - Toyota RAV4 - .71 each day for 7 days

Gas unleaded per litre - .23

Diesel per litre - $.64

Bus Ticket (one of the ways) - .00

Taxi Ride - per km - $.50

Tuc Tuc - 10 km ride - .00

Train Ticket second class - .57

If you're going to I recommend you apply the local taxis and tuc-tucs, driving could be a mind-pain and uncomfortable experience if you're not accustomed to the neighborhood norms. However, speeds don't review 80km around the bigger streets and overall a secure spot to drive.

The above mentioned detail are the products make up the foundation of the living costs indexes for every basket group within the Xpatulator hand calculators, these cost is then combined with their indexes and forex rates to calculate the living costs in various locations.

For additional info on Sri Lanka find out more at world wide web.xpatulator.com/outdoors.cfm.

Kinds of Microwaves - Convection Versus Conventional Microwaves

Are you currently searching to exchange your old (rather primitive) microwave with a brand new one? Possibly, you may even invest some dollars to purchase a brand new microwave the very first time. The very first factor you need to decide is whether or not to choose a convection or conventional microwave. Therefore, first decide the plethora of model and you'll be obvious concerning the determining factors before taking a microwave. In this short article, let's talk of a few of the variations between convection and conventional microwaves.

A magnetron tube forces a fundamental microwave which produces microwaves which go through glass containers &lifier plastic containers and therefore are adopted the meals. A microwave convection microwave utilizes a more recent type of technology that combines fundamental microwave technology with warmth souped up that enables you to definitely brown, roast and grill your favourite food. These kinds of oven in addition have a heating unit besides an admirer that can help within the circulation of hot air.

Microwaves may also be entrusted upon the job of cooking based upon the kind of food you need to prepare. A microwave convection microwave is also called speed-prepare model that may also be used to organize crustier pizzas and juicier pot roasts. Some models also offers models that include a pan accustomed to prepare sausage and crisp bread.

Microwave convection ovens provide flexibility due to remarkable ability to permit customers to take advantage from the microwave and warmth functions together, but both separate function. Multiple cooking modes or options in one wave oven are rapidly making up ground like a definite trend in microwave technology which is continuously enhancing to create cooking experience better.

It's a still dependent on personal preference that dictates one whether to choose a regular microwave or perhaps a microwave convection microwave though it's possible to expect microwave with convection features to become much more costly.

One other popular type of heating method combines microwave with light energy of greater intensity from the quarta movement halogen bulb since it's source to roast food. This process can also add colour and taste to meat simultaneously speeding up time taken to cook.

JML Toasta Bags

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How you can Turn Your Home Right into a Holiday Rental

Turning your house into a vacation rental can seem overwhelming at first... but it really doesn't have to be. This is a process that you can really enjoy and have fun with! I have set up houses as vacation rentals dozens and dozens of times, for my client's properties, as well as my own houses. I understand what is involved and required from every aspect, from assuring the property is in compliance with governmental agency rules and regulations, to making sure it has all the essentials that most guests require. In my commitment to assuring that my clients are continually successful with their vacation rental houses, I often find myself in the role of 'vacation rental counselor,' mostly pertaining to governmental agency and code compliance, quality assurance, and ongoing property maintenance required to meet the current industry standard.

So, with that in mind, it's important to begin with the basics when you decide to offer your house as a vacation accommodation to travelers. In this article I will provide you with the 5 most important steps to follow to assure your vacation rental success. As you read through this, I advise you to consider the fact that your house is in a unique town or city, that this article is a general guide, and that it is critical for you to become aware of your local community sentiment, and rules and regulations about short-term rentals. Always remember, your house is a private property, it is are not a hotel, and preparing your house and managing it as a vacation rental accommodation for tourists must be carefully and thoughtfully done.

1 - LAWS, ORDINANCES, RULES, AND REGULATIONS

The very first thing you need to do is to educate yourself about your local city, county, and state laws, ordinances, and rules and regulations pertaining to offering your house as a vacation rental in your unique community neighborhood. Please don't just assume that because it's your property, you can do whatever you want with it. And, please don't put a lot of effort and expense in setting up your house as a rental for tourists until you rule out the possibility that there are laws preventing you from doing so. Many local and state government agencies have clear regulations stating that setting up your house to rent as a vacation rental turns it into a business, and it will probably be subject to some level of city, county, and / or state licensing. Many governing agencies also require that to legally rent your house as a short-term rental, you must collect local and state tax from tourists who rent your property.

A quick search in the vacation rental news reveals, that as short-term rentals become more and more popular, many communities have licensing restrictions and very specific rules and regulations regarding renting houses short term to tourists. Call your local town or city governmental offices and get to the appropriate licensing department that can answer your specific questions. Find out what specific licenses and / tax numbers you need to legally rent your house, and get them. I highly recommend that you seek the assistance of an established licensed local rental agency that can properly assist you understanding and complying with licensing and tax requirements required in your community.

2 - YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND YOUR NEIGHBORS

Now that you've determined that it is legal for you to rent your house as a vacation rental, and you've obtained the proper licenses and tax numbers, it's time to think about the neighborhood where your rental house is located. This might seem silly, and many people gloss over this important step, but believe me you can save massive headaches and fights with neighbors by dealing with this issue pro-actively. Nearly every news article you read on communities that are resisting or trying to restrict vacation rentals point to the same neighbor issues: noisy tourists staging loud parties, tourists taking parking spaces from local residents, and tourists being careless with their garbage.

In all the years I've been in the vacation rental business I've seen several neighbor-to- neighbor squabbles that have involved code enforcement, the police, and even expensive law suits. Most of these issues could have been avoided with plain common sense and consideration. Find out who your neighbors are, and do your best to communicate with them and determine if they will resist you renting your house to tourists.

Once you begin renting your house to vacationers, you need to commit to being selective about who you rent your house to. It is important to talk with them and determine if they will be a 'good fit' for your neighborhood. Ask them directly what they plan to do while they are renting your house for their vacation. For example, if you discover a potential guest is planning to rent your house to accommodate a wedding party or a birthday party, think about the impact on your neighbors and if they will be okay with this. Some properties I manage are in neighborhoods that will only tolerate very quiet couples, others are set up to accept larger groups and the neighbors are clear on this and understand the rules. Know your neighborhood, and set up your own 'House Rules' that your tourist tenants must agree to comply with.

The biggest complaint that most neighbors have who live next to vacation houses is noise. Some neighbors are more 'noise sensitive' than others, and you need to know if your neighbor is going to call the police every time a group of vacationers sit around the swimming pool and listen to music. Give neighbors who live next to your rental your phone number, and ask them to call you directly if there is a noise problem. And when there is a problem, call the guests and ask them to quiet down. Since you are renting your house to tourists, it is your responsibility to make sure the guests you bring into your rental house are respectful of the local neighborhood.

3 - FURNISHING YOUR HOUSE AS A VACATION RENTAL

Furnishing your house can be daunting if you've never done it before. Below is a very detailed list of basic home furnishing items you will need to provide. This includes suggestions for bed configurations, kitchen essentials, soft goods, and household items. Your guests will be looking for the basic comforts most of us look for in our daily living.

Enjoy setting up your house for tourists - and strive to strike a balance between nice and economy. If you are striving to attract a 'higher end' clientele add some nice touches and things that you would appreciate if you were 'a guest in your own house.' You don't need to purchase all new items, but please doesn't use junk or your house will start to look like an unappealing garage sale. Add some interesting art work, wall mirrors, artificial plants, and some nice nick-nacks - just take care not to overdo it or it can start to look cluttered. Some personal pictures (a shot with your friends or family members) are nice to place on shelves... it reminds guests that they are in some one's house, and not a hotel.

Suggested Bed Size Lay Out

Your vacation rental property needs to be practical and 'user friendly' as well as beautiful to look at. I have found the following general layout to meet the demands of most guests. As a general rule, avoid putting too many extra beds in a bedroom, you do not want to give the message of 'the more the merrier.' If your property has an office or den, it is a nice feature to add a desk or set up an office.

Try to make the 'nicest' bedroom the master bedroom. The nicest bedroom is usually determined by the view and features - such as en-suite bathroom, private deck, French doors that lead to the swimming pool or porch, or it can just be the largest bedroom if the property offers no other unique features. If your property has more than one bedroom with an en-suite bathroom and/or view than you are lucky to have a property that can be marketed with more than one master bedroom or suite... and that is a fantastic feature. That way, couples traveling together don't have to 'flip for' the best bedroom!

About bed sizes: The layout below is suggested after nearly 2 decades of being in this business and listening to what guests require. Today, it seems like most people sleep in king size beds at home, and many couples who stay in vacation rentals insist on a king bed. For some couples, not having a king bed option can be a 'deal breaker' since they are convinced they won't be able to sleep in a smaller bed with their partner. So that being said, here are the basic suggested guidelines...

Two Bedroom House

Bedroom 1: Master bedroom - Prefer King bed. If room is too small use a Queen.

Bedroom 2:- 2nd bedroom - Queen or 2 twins. (I find that 2 twins are a better option as they can be pushed together to make a King.)

Three Bedroom House

Bedroom 1: Master bedroom - Prefer King bed. If the room is too small use a Queen.

Bedroom 2: 2nd bedroom - Queen or King or 2 twins.

Bedroom 3: 3rd bedroom - 2 Twins or Trundle bed

Four Bedroom House

Bedroom 1: Master bedroom - Prefer King bed, but if the room is too small use a Queen.

Bedroom 2: 2nd bedroom - Queen or King

Bedroom 3: 3rd bedroom - Queen or King or 2 twins.

Bedroom 4: 4th bedroom - 2 Twins or Trundle bed

Guideline for Cookware and Kitchen Items

Equip your vacation rental kitchen with basic cookware and kitchen items. Buy a good set of good cookware, as much quality as you can afford. It does not pay in the 'long run' to get the cheapest as it will not last, but not necessary to buy the very best either. Sometimes you can find a nice stainless steel set in a box. Do not get the cheap aluminum stuff.

Stove Top Pans: Provide a basic set of 2, 4, 8, and 10 quarts.
Skillets: 7 and 10 inch
Oven Pans: Glass baking dishes: 9X13 and 8X8, roasting pan with lid (holiday dinners),cookie sheet, muffin tin, 1 pie pan, 2 cake pans, 1 pizza pan.
Mixing Bowls: 2 large: 8 - 10 quarts; 2 medium: 2 - 4 quarts; and 2 small: 1 - 2 quarts. These can be stainless or glass. These can also be used as serving bowls.
Knives: Paring, large vegetable, butcher, bread, and a sharpener.
Cook Prep Items: Colander, spatulas (1 medium size, l large size), mixing spoons (1 large, 1 medium), wire whisk, can opener (a good manual one is best), plastic cutting boards (1 large and 1 small), measuring spoons, rolling pin, ladle, funnel, and tongs.
Small Kitchen Appliances: Toaster, coffee pot (electric drip - Mr. Coffee Style), blender (good quality that will spin frozen drinks)
Other Kitchen Items: 2 to 4 pot holders and trivets, placements for complete table setting, 6 dish towels, teapot (for steeping tea; not essential but nice), bread basket, aluminum foil, and plastic wrap.
BBQ Grill: Inexpensive gas grills are best. Plan on replacing them about every couple of years.
Flatware and Serving Ware: Dinner plates, soup / cereal bowls, small plates (Service for 8 - 10 works best for property that sleeps up to 8), glasses (service for 8-10), flatware (service for 10 plus meat fork), 6 to 8 Serving spoons, 2 slotted spoons, coffee mugs or coffee cups and sauces (service for 10), 2 to 3 serving bowls and platters for hors d'oeuvres, or maybe a turkey or roast. Bright colorful serving bowls are nice and also help to add a 'pop of color' to the kitchen.
Cleaning Supplies (keep in property for guests): Hand dish soap, dishwasher soap, degreaser, window cleaner, cleaning cloths, large 2 to 3 gallon plastic bucket, mop, 2 brooms (1 for inside and 1 or outside),1 dust pan

Guideline for Soft Goods

Equip your vacation rental house with nice quality bedding, towels, and window coverings. Do not buy the cheapest soft goods. They won't last and you will likely receive complaints. Guests expect good quality towels and linens and will write bad reviews for poor quality items. You can save money by purchasing from discount warehouse and home furnishing stores.

Towels: For a 2 bedroom rental - 12 bath towels, 12 hand towels, and 8 wash clothes; for a 3 bedroom rental - 14 bath towels, 14 hand towels, 14 wash clothes; for a 4 bedroom rental - 16 bath towels, 16 hand towels, 16 wash clothes
Sheets and Pillow cases: 2 sets for each bed. Get at least 400 count sheets
Bedding Protectors: Mattress covers for each mattress zip pillow protectors for each bed pillow (these go on the pillow before the pillow case).
Bed spreads or comforters: We take our cue from high end hotel rooms. At this writing (2011) travelers like duvet covers (over comforters) and / or mattalesse coverlets in the contemporary market. Bed covers MUST be washable.
Decorative and Comfort Items: Throw pillows, 2 or 3 blanket throws, throw rugs, door mats
Beach / Pool Towels - 2 per bedroom
Window coverings - Nice curtains and / or blinds

Entertainment and Internet Service:

Flat Screen TV's: People expect TV's in the bedrooms as well as the main living room / great room. I recommend a large TV (minimum 36 inch) in the living room, and smaller ones in the bedrooms (15 - 24 inch are fine). Small flat screen TV's need to be mounted on the wall or bureaus for security reasons.

Cable TV or Satellite: Don't offer 'pay per view' features. It's too hard to keep track of those charges.

Internet (DSL): WiFi router is an expected feature. Almost all tourists travel with laptops... and they get upset if they don't have internet access. Most renters do request WiFi.

Stereo and C/D player: Most guests travel with iPods in today's market, but most still expect some kind of music player. This should not be an expensive unit. It can be a large 'boom box' type with detachable speakers and should be large enough that people do not try to take it outside.

4 - Maintenance and Housekeeping

Your vacation rental must be well maintained and kept immaculately clean. Keep in mind, that while your house is not a hotel, you are offering it as a vacation accommodation to travelers, and guests will expect maintenance and cleanliness standards set by nice hotels. This is not a place to cut corners, and if you do, your house will soon appear on a travel log such as Trip Advisor, Flip Key, or rental review sites with negative comments. Bad reviews about poor cleaning and maintenance, even if they are exaggerated by unscrupulous guests, can quickly stigmatize your house and discourage future guests from renting it. You simply must commit to bearing the cost to keeping your house to quality standard.

Most vacation rental agencies collect a departure cleaning fee in advance from the guests to clean it when they leave. Guests expect and deserve to arrive to a clean and tidy property. Set a cleaning rate that will cover your costs to clean the house thoroughly each and every time guests depart. Make sure you plan enough time to clean the house, and better yet hire a good professional housekeeper. Make sure carpets and furniture are cleaned as needed. During periods when your house is not rented, be sure you give it a deep clean. Replace towels and linens with new ones as necessary, and never make a bed or make up a bathroom with tired or stained linens or towels.

If your house has porches or decks and outdoor furniture, they must be kept scrubbed and free from mildew and look fresh for every guest who checks in. Same with windows, yards, landscaping, swimming pools, and Jacuzzi tubs - they must be maintained to quality standard or you will get complaints.

This goes for household maintenance issues as well. You will need to hone your handy-man skills and make sure all the light bulbs work, a/c filters are changed, the internet is working, TV remotes work, the toilets are flushing properly, and the pool and Jacuzzi heaters are working right. You will also need to be 'on call' to go over to the property and provide minor repairs. Unless you live in the same town as your rental, and you are absolutely committed to maintaining it, hire professionals to do this for you. If you are not willing or able to do this, or cannot quickly respond to any maintenance needs, I strongly recommend that you hire a professional rental agency that is staffed up to provide these kind of services. It will save you a lot of head ache and could save the reputation of your rental house.

5 - Managing Your Property - Advertising, Reservations, Rental Contracts, Bookkeeping

The final basic step to turning your house into a successful vacation home is to start advertising it and taking reservations. Today, there are several mega-vacation rental advertising websites to choose from that have huge data bases of available rental properties. Most of these are set up so you can you can post your own ad copy and download your own property photos. Expect to pay over 0. to get positioned on-line so that prospective renters can find your property. You can also use social media such as Facebook and Twitter to promote the availability of your property.

If you decide to manage your property yourself, you must be completely committed to every aspect of the administrative process. This means answering email and phone inquiries in a timely manner, maintaining an availability calendar, talking with potential guests to determine if they are appropriate renters for your house, writing and sending rental contracts to guests, collecting rental fees, collecting and paying required bed and / or sales tax, collecting and refunding security deposits (or determining costs where there is damage), paying housekeepers and maintenance people, paying utilities, keeping licenses current, and generally staying on top of the bookkeeping. There are several home-based reservation management software packages available to help you stay organized, but they will only work if you are diligent about keeping the information updated.

You can also hire a locally established rental agency to provide professional management and advertising services for you. Over the years, I have seen many people try to advertise and manage their own vacation property, and end up finding the process too time consuming and daunting. If they live in the same town as the rental house, they end up spending all their "free time" (and then some) operating their property. And if they live in a different location, they find it too overwhelming to effectively manage from a distance. I strongly urge that you hire an established locally operated vacation rental agency that understands the entire scope of the business and the community where you're your house is located. http://vacationhomesofkeywest.com

Cindy Rhoades

copyright @ 2011