Month: July 2015

Fun Back to School Church Activities

One of the ways by which churches can help their congregation be more active is to introduce several “back to school activities” during the transition of summer to fall. The change in seasons can revive interest among members of your congregation for the purpose of building a new personal growth plan, or to take part in redecorating a church building.

Announce Ahead

In order to get as much church members as you can to join in on the activities, you need to announce ahead your plan to introduce back to school activities. You can distribute church leaflets after the service to allow potential participants time to prepare. Doing so will also allow you to reach as much people as you can. Make sure that the leaflets contain the dates and times you will need their participation.

Redecorating Activity

During the last week of August, gather church members and then redecorate key sections of your facility. Allowing people that normally do not take part in church activities to contribute support in a creative manner will allow them to have a greater sense of ownership. Gather your church supplies and repaint high-traffic areas like the main hallways and bathroom. Change or update the curtains and rugs or make a bigger effect by establishing a new theme to a room. This type of activity can help foster a sense of responsibility among church members and may also provide the chance for people to develop friendships. Provide the volunteers with refreshments like pizza for a job well done.

Parent’s Day Out

Establish some events whose aim is to assist parents that need to shop for school supplies and clothing for their kids. Plan several nights or afternoons where moms and dads can drop their children at the free day care facility in your church. Offer good quality films and fun games to keep the kids entertained.

Teachers Too

Bring treats and give them as a gift to admin staff of local schools on the first day of school. Provide a “teacher survival kit” that contains snacks, tissues, water bottle and disinfecting wipes. Enclose a business card or flyer that features your church services and activities.

 

Designing Your Very Own Kitchen Cabinets

Most kitchen cabinets found in popular home improvement centers are mass-produced and usually made out of low quality material and workmanship. According to custom cabinetmaker Rogers Minnesota specialists, if you want to get something that is built to last go only for customized kitchen cabinets. Here are some things to consider.

Have a Plan

As in all things you need to have a plan. Designing and building cabinets usually takes a lot of time and effort. If we are working on furnishing an empty room then all you need to do is go directly to design but most if not all of us will need to work on a kitchen already filled with existing cabinets. Therefore, it is essential to take all measurements available and to have a quick draw diagram of how the room will look.

Measurement Guide

As a quick measurement guide base cabinets are generally 24” deep and about 36” tall.   Wall cabinets are usually 12” deep and 30-42” tall. According to cabinetmaker Medina Minnesota specialists, when positioning wall cabinets above base cabinets, the minimum distance between the top of the countertop on the base cabinet and the bottom of the wall cabinet should be 18”. If you are considering to include a kitchen island too, keep at least 36-38 inches of open space between the kitchen island and the base cabinet itself.

Custom kitchen cabinet design allows you to pay close attention to a lot of details that are usually neglected with store bought cabinets. For instance, custom cabinet design can allow you to butt them against the wall in order to prevent filler strips. You can also design cabinet fronts to feature only a single stile as opposed to having a double wide stile that is usually found from screwing together two stock cabinets.

Materials

Custom cabinet design allows you the freedom to select choice materials for your creation. You can opt for solid wood construction or simply select from much more common wood types. It really depends on your budget and preferences. It is recommended that you construct the cabinet frame, doors, and drawer fronts using solid wood.

To know more about custom cabinet design log on to DK Woodworks MN.

 

Outdoor Mosquito Control Tips

mosquito in lawnDuring the summer, a lot of people have outdoor parties and barbecues. Good food and good conversation abound during fun Saturday afternoons in the yard. While summer brings good weather to all, it also brings with it flying and biting insects that can ruin any outdoor party. Among the most hated of these insects is the mosquito. Here are some outdoor mosquito control tips to consider.

 

Get rid of their Habitat

According to mosquito control service St. Louis Park MN specialists, in order to get rid of mosquitoes from pestering your outdoor party you need to exterminate their breeding places. Mosquitos breed in stagnant or standing water, they lay their eggs and the larvae develop into the pupa stage and eventually into an adult. Look for any piece of object that can harbor standing water like plastic containers, plant pots and pet bowls and then get rid of it. Fill in any spots in your lawn and garden with sod or dirt in order to get rid of standing water. If you have a pond that can support live fish, add koi or mosquito fish which eat mosquito larvae, eggs and pupa.

Natural Pest Control

For standing water spots that could not be eliminated like ponds, birdbaths and fountains, an effective method would be to add a live fungus called bacillus thuringiensis. This organism is harmless to animals but quite deadly to mosquito larvae. Use a blend of neem oil and water in order to spray bushes and plants. Neem oil is known to be a natural pesticide that drives away mosquitos. During an outdoor party you can light up citronella candles or burn citronella oil to drive away mosquitos from your guests. Grow catnip because it has a natural insect repelling property and smells good too. Place it in portable pots as well as in certain areas where your guests congregate.

Chemical Pest Control

There are a number of commercial chemical mosquito control solutions available in the market today. Commercial pest control products like those provided by insect control service Crystal Minnesota providers are either water-based or oil products that can be sprayed on the yard like in grassy sections and bushes. Other insect control items like lamps, coils and no-pest strips may be hung strategically on different areas as well.

To talk to a reputable insect control service specialist log on to Diversified Mosquito and Turf.