Decor your room with modern classic furnitures

The master bedroom is always your getaway space and a pleasant day’s end retreat. To feel comfortable in your bedroom you need to create a pleasing ambience as well as a touch of luxury on furniture as well. It is always, bedroom decor is an imperative aspect in the interior decoration of any home or decor plan. The master bedroom generally conforms to the style chosen for the main rooms of the house. It is always appropriate to invest in a luxury touch here and there with beautiful bed linens or a four poster classic bed as simple examples. Classic furnitures always resembles of luxury and comfort life style and if you are one of those who adores classic designs, why wouldn’t go ahead of owning a classic designed bedroom. The serene atmosphere will resonates in the bedroom when you choose classic bedroom furniture as your furnishing, so let’s make the bedroom as the best relaxation place and grab some ideas from the following classic designed pictures.

Romantic touch with colours

Adding an air of romance to your home can be done with colors that are poetic and enchanting. These colors range from charming, comfortable country colors to fanciful hues. We can always use these kind of different color hues to define our decor theme. Romantic and luxurious atmosphere, we can always establish on a wall or by a fabric furnishing, piece of furniture or may be with an accessory. Here we have got some real romantic, colorful rooms just for you and just imagine the pleasure you can have by owning one of these rooms in your home.

Bringing the Islands Home: Kohala Coast house by Dara Rosenfeld Design

Bringing the outdoors in is a benchmark of contemporary design; that being said, this Kohala coastline vacation home by Dara Rosenfeld Design takes that process a few steps further — using a lava-rock wall divider between the shower and the tub in the master bath! Infused with seashore blues and greens, this 7,000-square-foot residence is a haven not only for family to gather but for the owners to showcase and enjoy objects of all kinds collected on their travels to Tahiti and Bora Bora. You can see the island influence everywhere: in the carvings on a bedstead, the wood inlay of the ceilings, and splashy fabrics, colors, and prints. Gorgeous ceramic tile accents bring more island ambience into the home, as does a lavish “fern” print at a desk (a seat in a friendly jungle!).

Beyond integration of textures and literal materials of the islands, the house also features more conventional indoor/outdoor living touches — such as the flagstone patio flooring that carries into the indoor dining and living areas of the home. Casual chairs group around a wood table with a barrel base; the bocce ball court looks as if it were photographed mid-match. Finally, as is also a benchmark with Dara Rosenfeld, customized furnishings and accessories play a large part in the décor: among them are Parisian Thomas Boog pendant lights made of opalescent oyster shells, a cast-stone dining table top, and a custom bamboo sofa. The combination of custom work, architectural material that melds indoors and out, and the fabulous tropical colors of this retreat make this getaway a shining Kohala coastline jewel.

 

 

A Fun and Functional Kids’ Room: “e” by Nidi Design

The lighted letters on the wall of this “e” room by Nidi Design say it all: “Play.” Nidi, an Italian design firm, has fans all over the world in kids — and their parents — because of its innovative, fun, and flexible designs. This room has everything: a space for work, in the clean-lined white desk and chair — and yellow-lined “cubes” on the wall for handy storage of books, papers, art materials, or whatever else strikes a child’s fancy. It’s got room for sleeping, with a neat platform bed covered in removable, washable fabrics that make staying neat a breeze. It’s even got space for self-expression, with a wardrobe from the Graphic collection surfaced in a way that lets kids jot notes, messages, or draw right on the “wall.”

Color? Of course; neutrals kids can love — blueberry, lemon, and gray — “bounce” off pure white with just the right amount of energy for creativity, but not too much for relaxation. And these colors aren’t just reserved for fabric accents — an open storage “tray” in blue has handy white legs, a clever match with the bedside table in the same hue, but sporting a white drawer. And, finally, there’s Nidi’s unique and very playful touch: walls with pockets! What could be handier in a kid’s room than having a wall with its own place to “stash” things that may not fit well anywhere else, such as the arrows for an archery enthusiast? The answer? No one else does it quite the same way. This is “play” — with style.

 

 

 

 

 

How to help your kids with homework?

The nagging, the battles, the lost papers  do you dread school work as much as the kids do?

Here's how to help them hit the books

 Step 1: Ya gotta have a plan

Sit down with your kids and lay out expectations now, when the school year is starting, rather than waiting until problems arise. "Two or three goals is plenty, and you'll get better results if your child helps decide them," says Alexandra Mayzler, director of New York City-based Thinking Caps Tutoring and author of "Tutor in a Book: Better Grades as Easy as 1-2-3."

Ask: What were your child's stumbling blocks last year? Maybe homework time was running into bedtime, so agree on an earlier start time. Did your child resist reading? Work on ways to make it fun -- maybe set up a reading tent under your dining room table. Review your child's homework goals again in October, and perhaps once more in January, says Mayzler. Adjust your plan as you go, letting your child take as much ownership of the process as possible.

 Step 2: Get in the groove

"All the research says the single best way to improve your child's homework performance -- and bring more peace to your home is to insist on a daily schedule or routine," says Ann Dolin, who is also the author of "Homework Made Simple: Tips, Tools, and Solutions for Stress-Free Homework." In some homes, that means doing it right after school; for others, it can mean waiting until after dinner if your child is the type who needs to expend some energy before he dives back into the books.

Dolin recommends giving all kids at least 30 minutes to have a snack and unwind, with one caveat: "That half-hour break really shouldn't involve anything with a screen  television, e-mail, or video games or you may have trouble getting kids off," she adds.

 Giving kids a half-hour break between after-school activities and homework is a smart idea, too. "Sports or after-school care isn't really a break. Kids need to let down a little at home before launching into homework," she says. If your child goes to a babysitter or aftercare program, make a deal that while he's there he'll work on one assignment  something easy he can do even with distractions  every day before he gets home so he has less work later.

 The key is to be consistent about the routine. Take a few weeks before homework gets heavy to try different approaches and see what works best, then stick to it.

 What about weekends? Everyone deserves a break on Fridays, of course. But pick a regular time during the weekend for homework. After some experimenting, D'nece Webster of Portland, Oregon, found that her son Alex, 7, is at his best on Sunday mornings. "He can finish in thirty minutes what might take him two hours on a weekend afternoon," says Webster.

 Step 3: Know when to get your child extra help

If your kid is truly stuck on a homework assignment, don't make the common mistake of trying to reteach the information. Your goal is not to become your child's study buddy. Plus, your approach might be too different from the teacher's. "Imagine being a kid learning long division for the first time. You don't understand what your teacher is saying, and your parents teach you another method. When you get back to school, you're bound to be even more confused," says mom and former teacher Laura Laing of Baltimore.

 Instead, send an e-mail or note to the teacher asking her to please explain the material to your child again. If your child is a fourth-grader or older, have him write the note or talk to the teacher. It's important that he learns how to speak up for himself. The teacher will likely have office hours earmarked for those who need help. Also ask her about specific websites (many school textbooks now have practice sites kids can use in conjunction with the material in the book) or check out an online tutoring site like growingstars.com or tutor.com, which also has apps for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch.

 Step 4: Pick the right spot

Some kids do best with a desk set up in their bedroom so they can work independently; others want to be smack in the middle of the kitchen while you cook dinner. Mayzler recommends letting kids choose their preferred study spot. If your child focuses better lounging on a couch or the floor, "I say let them do it," she notes. Wherever your child does homework, keep it distraction-free no TV, video games, or loud siblings playing nearby. "It's ideal if you can set a quiet family work time, when younger kids color or do other 'homework-like' tasks and you do paperwork or reading of your own," Mayzler adds.

 

Step 5: Try not to be so freaking helpful!

Of course, it's okay and actually necessary  to sit with 5- or 6-year-olds while they do homework. However, your goal should be to help less over time and move physically farther from where your child works. Laura Laing and her partner, Gina Foringer, make a point of staying out of the room where their daughter, Zoe, 11, does homework. That way, Zoe is encouraged to think through her work on her own before asking a parent for help. Even when Zoe asks a question, Laing often responds with more questions instead of answers. "I'll ask 'What do you think?' or 'How do you think you can come to the answer?'" says Laing. Zoe often works out her own solution by talking it through with her mom.

When it comes to proofing a homework assignment, less is definitely better. Check a few answers to ensure that your child understands what's she's doing, but don't go over the entire page. After all, your child's teacher needs an accurate measure of whether she really understands the work.

Step 6: Make 'em pay

Although you may feel guilty at first, it's smart to have a one-strike rule when it comes to forgetting homework. If your child leaves her assignment (or lunch, gym clothes, or other items, for that matter) at home and calls, begging you to bring it to school, bail her out, say, only once each grading period. For many kids, just one missed recess (or whatever the teacher's policy is for not turning in homework) usually improves their memory, says Cathy Vatterott, Ph.D., associate professor of education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and author of "Rethinking Homework." But chronically disorganized kids may need more hand-holding. "Help your child figure out what part of his 'return homework' chain is broken," says Vatterott. "Does he routinely leave homework on the dining room table? Does he forget some assignments because they're in a different folder?" Create a "Homework Checklist" on the computer and post it near his usual study space.

Step 7: Push back on busywork

 

Vatterott and other educators are now advocating for changes in the way homework is assigned and used in the United States (requiring teachers to prove the usefulness of assignments, discouraging teachers from grading homework, and more). She encourages parents to do so, too. "Good homework helps kids cement what they've learned, but it isn't busywork, isn't given in extreme amounts, and definitely doesn't require parents to become substitute teachers at home," Vatterott says. A few caveats:
Mom and Dad shouldn't do homework. If work comes home with "directions for parents," Vatterott suggests letting the teacher and possibly the principal know that you, unfortunately, aren't in class this year (some gentle humor helps!), so you won't be building a replica of a human cell or a California mission, or whatever is required. A project can be a fun way for parents and kids to bond, but if you feel like it's taking up too much of your time, it probably is.

Watch for overload. If your third-grader is spending an hour and a half on just her math homework, for instance, that's way too much. "Keep track of her time for several days, then talk to the teacher," suggests Dolin. Sometimes teachers honestly underestimate how long an assignment will take. If your child routinely works long hours because she's struggling, also talk to the teacher. But if she seems to be slaving over homework because she's a perfectionist, you may need to discuss a reasonable amount of time to devote to an assignment and then clock her.

 

Culled: Parenting.com

Creative Gift Wrapping Ideas from Recycled Materials

Recycled materials can form elegant gift wraps, yet are simple enough to impress anyone. Adding a nice natural trimming or gift topper will show much art. You can create funny gift wraps using printed paper and other colored toys that kids play with, and you can use vintage printed paper and a nice accessory topper for an elegant gift. Use kitchen stuff and any bright ribbons you save to tie gift jars and bottles; usually such ribbons are used to wrap cake and chocolate cartons. Juice bottles can be topped with a bow tie or wrapped with labeled printed paper. Cellophane sheets are perfect for sweets and baked cookies that you often prefer to put in baskets; that way you ensure easy wrapping and beautiful appearance with the satin ribbons you tie around.

Flowers can be a nice gift; however, they can’t be used alone with the wraps we are introducing in this topic, but if you arrange a few flowers within a cookie basket you will obtain a fantastic gift. Stitching a few bags from bright fabric sheets is suitable for introducing gifts for housewives and grandmothers. You can use them for kitchen gifts, cookies, and any other practical stuff. Accessories will need a special gift wrapping to look elegant. You may use plain or colored paper that suits your gift type then use a natural topper or a homemade one that shows your appreciation. Use solid colors and plain sheets for a more classic and sophisticated appearance, and use very simple printed ones for the gifts dedicated to young members.

Burlap is also good for wrapping, but the most preferred is the wrapping paper or the cellophane sheets as to the better meaning they add to the gifts. Wrapping kids’ gifts is quite amusing indeed, especially when you finish with your kids or family. It needs a sense of humor and simplicity so that you can create and draw different colors and funny shapes. Use any type of paper you have and some colors to draw a snowman, Disney characters, funny shapes, animals, stars and the sky or anything else that goes with kids’ nature.