Articles By Justin Havre

One of the nice things about owning your own home is the barbecue factor. You can pop the top on the grill and cook away whenever the mood takes you. However, if ordinary barbecues are starting to pall on you, why not host an Italian or French soda party? It's a great way to get to know your neighbors if you've recently moved and is a great excuse for a party with friends and family.

It used to be that your choices in paint were confined to the color and the question of latex vs. oil. However, our increasing knowledge of our impact on our environment is changing the face of home painting. The paint that we have taken for granted is bubbling over with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are potential carcinogens. The fumes emitted by these substances can last for years after the paint was applied. It is estimated that the air within a house is three times as polluted as the air outside the house.

"Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family." These words were spoken in the 1996 movie "Trainspotting". It was the beginning of a monologue outlining the average person's walk through life, with the idea that you get a job and work at it until retirement age, then retire to spend the rest of your life doing whatever you think retirees should do.