There’s no doubt that many people are installing new kitchens on their own. For those who know what they are doing, this is fine. For others, the small savings they made are not worth the stress and mistakes that followed. My wife and I gave our kitchen a totally new look recently, and by taking a middle path between DIY kitchen cabinet intsalls and paying a professional, we saved some money and got a good job done quickly.

Here’s what we did.

First, we called in a builder friend and arranged for me to help him do the work. This is the “middle path”: a professional was involved but a DIY amateur (me!) was also involved, and taking on some of the hours of unskilled work.

Our friend sent us to look at kitchen cabinet designs and ring around the manufacturers.

We quickly decided we would not used metal kitchen cabinets. They just would not go with the rest of our home.

In the same way, we also ruled out unfinished kitchen cabinets. Our friend pointed out that it would draw out the time involved in installing the new kitchen. And the savings were not significant when put against this factor. So we went for already painted cabinets ready to assembled and install with the kitchen cabinet organizers planned for and ordered.

Next we got down to work. We ripped out the old kitchen in a day, and then I began assembling the new cabinets. That didn’t take long. My friend helped me install them in the now-empty room, and then we both got to the hardest part – fitting the L-shaped new bench top. I was glad we had a professional at this point. Getting the levels true took some expertise. But eventually it was complete, and we just had to wait for the plumber.

He did his work and we moved back in even before the tilter came to put a short run of new tiles along one wall of the kitchen to make up for a difference in the heights of the old bench top and the new modern one.

Over all the work of install new kitchen cabinets was not difficult, with the help of our friend. And although the price did creep up a little as new things had to be added to the original work specifications as we went along, my wife and I are very happy with the outcome.

Fun Party Games…when you take the time to plan a birthday party whether its a kids party or an adult party, you want your party to be great! But it’s not always easy to make sure it turns out that way. With so many facets to party planning, the decorations, food and entertainment, how can you ensure Party Success

Planning fun party games can help! Games at a party will help your guests to relax and enjoy the evening. You can start off with some party ice breaker games. Ice breakers are games that can help people who don’t know each other interact and learn a little something about each other. This way, it’s not just strangers sitting together. Ice breakers are usually team work type games or little trivia games that give information about each guest.

Any group game with teams will also loosen people up and can be a lot of fun. Strangers come together working for a united goal…such as dressing someone up to look like a bride with toilet paper!

These team building games work really well to introduce your guests to each other and they are a lot of fun. Of course, these are not the only kind of fun games you can have. There are many games you can find to add an “extra special” feel to your party You may have decided on a theme, and there are many classic party game ideas you can change a little so they fit your theme perfectly. Look at the kids game Pin the tail on the donkey. It can be changed to meet any kind of party Pin the nose on Rudolf or pin the beard on Santa Claus…You can even get a large print out of the guest of honor and pin things on them! It is a simple game, but you can get a lot of fun out of it if you get a little creative.

Kids love games and there are so many choices to use at a kids birthday or holiday party Adults may need a little bit more thought but there are plenty of ideas for great adult party games to be found. Adult game ideas can be very entertaining if you have someone to urge your party guests to participate. How many times have you been to a party let’s say a luau, and the Hula dancer gets some of the guys up and actually gets them to dress up just like a hula girl, coconuts and all! Once that happens, the party just seems to “take off” and everyone has a great time.

Party games are so important to party success that there are many entertainment companies in existence for just that purpose. You can hire a clown, a magician, a hula dancer or even rent one of those fun inflatable games. Sumo wrestling in giant inflatable suits was the hit of my nephew John’s 30th birthday party We got some great videos of the matches and of people rolling around looking like giant balloons. These party games can be costly but they are certainly worth it! We actually had lots of women who decided to dress up in the giant sumo costumes and give wrestling a try!

There are free games available to you as well, it will just take a little research. There are many party web sites that have done the research for you. Go online and read over some of the party game ideas that are available. You are sure to find some that fit your needs and your budget.

A party is all about fun, and you as the hostess, want to make sure you’ve accomplished your goal.

Attending a sonography program online is quite different from attending a campus-based school. When attending on-campus classes, students can mingle with each other before class or study together in the library. There is a sense of camaraderie. An online learning experience requires great self-discipline and the ability to stay self-motivated. However, there are some tips sonography students can follow to increase the likelihood of success and to ensure the learning experience is as enjoyable as possible.Tip 1: Prepare ahead to ensure technology and supplies are on hand before the distance education class begins.Sonography programs online require that students have access to the right technology and supplies. Waiting until the day before to assemble the equipment and supplies is a recipe for disaster. Almost all online courses require high-speed internet access, computers with minimum processing speeds, the ability to access school software programs, the ability to download media readers and plug-ins, and the availability of programs like Microsoft Word and Excel. Some programs may even require use of particular search engines like Firefox or Chrome. Making sure the requirements are available, met and understood long before class starts is a key step in successfully attending an online sonography program.Tip 2: Take advantage of all the sophisticated learning tools offered online.Online ultrasound tech programs are quite advanced in terms of technology. Students will find they can attend faculty lectures and participate in class discussions when logged into the class at the designated times. There will be a wealth of online tools available that include the downloadable class syllabus, student forums, scheduled group exchanges, video chat sessions with faculty or other students, digital whiteboards with assignments, and much more. It is important to take full advantage of all the learning tools that enrich the online learning experience.Tip 3: Create dedicated learning space.One of the problems home-based students experience is how to avoid distractions. While the student is attending an online sonography program, the television, smartphone, and dirty laundry needing attention are all the types of distractions that can lead to non-productivity. It is better to created dedicated learning space that is like a home-based classroom. When the student “goes to class” or “goes to the library to study,” it means going to a different room where there is a computer, space for class materials, and as few distractions as possible. This will improve the ability to concentrate and can even send a message to other household members that class is in session and the student is not to be disturbed.Tip 4: Stay current with the class work and assignments.It is good to have definitive goals like working towards earning an Associate degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography. However, it is also common for online students to put off completing class assignments or to fall behind in watching and listening to class lectures. Suddenly, it is the near the end of the semester, and the student is faced with catching up a lot of backlogged work no matter how long it takes. The best approach is to develop time management skills and set aside regular time for attending online class lectures and group discussions and for studying. In other words, approach an online accredited sonography programs the same way that an on-campus class would be approached. Students can plan on spending at least 10 hours per week on each four-credit course.Tip 5: Do not hesitate to ask for help.Distance education is similar to on-campus learning in many ways. One of those ways is that students should not hesitate to ask the faculty member teaching the online course for help. Struggling alone at home or at a local library in a state of confusion, or getting frustrated because there are technology problems, can lead to failure.The most important point to keep in mind is that sonography programs online require active, full participation. The classes must be approached with a determination to succeed. The faculty and staff at the school where the distance education program is located are as much available to online sonography students as they are to on-campus students. The difference is that the online student must be the one to initiate contact when help is needed because of the absence of personal interaction.