This room meets all of these goals due to some smart planning and decorating.

To begin, the architectural elements have been kept neutral. The carpeting is a very light grey. The family could go light because they chose better quality stain proof carpeting, a good idea when you’re dealing with two growing boys.

The white painted furniture matches the window casings as well as the simple pull-down window blind. To use space well, the desks and shelves are built-in and make good use of the slanted ceiling area by setting up the two desks on opposite corners along this wall. This gives both boys room to do their homework and show off their favorite things. For the older boy, trophies and awards cover the shelf, and he can keep homework organized in files set in the bottom drawer. Other desk drawers hold pens and school supplies.

Choosing the simple layout and furniture doesn’t limit the personality of the space. Each boy has his choice of bedspreads and a bulletin board with contents that are constantly changing. The light blue walls will work with almost any color.

The older chose his red chair at a thrift shop – liking the sturdy look and unusual color. Once the large basics were defined, flexibility is the order of the day with everything else. Art and accessories will come and go, but this room will continue to be functional and attractive, at least as long as the boys keep it tidy!

The robot on the top is not the winner; he is merely surveying the destruction left by a boy with way too many toys to his name.

Holidays, birthday parties and grandparents may all have contributed to this pile. And don’t deny it – that red underwater-looking guy was your purchase!

And by the way, equal time to your little girls. Chances are the color and type of toy will be different, but the pile could easily be just as high!

Rescue is at hand. If this situation is reducing your ability to reach his drawers and replace clean clothes and you notice that certain elements are drifting down the hall to the rest of your home, now is the time to handle the situation.

How are you fixed for storage bins? You may want to get a few sizes and colors to help with your sorting. Also pick up a label-maker or at least some stickers and a sharpie.

Now, sit down with your child and start a combination of sorting and negotiating. Even though most children hate to get rid of their possessions, it’s time to use a little strategy. Offer a bounty for every toy given away – say 2 dollars for a big toy and go down to 10 cents for those plastic toy soldiers that are all one color. Let your child know that they can spend that money on whatever they want (as long as it’s already on your approved list).

When you’re finished, chances are that pile will be noticeably reduced. Even the biggest pack-rat child won’t be able to resist the lure of new stuff to pile up in his or her room. Now, don’t delay. Remove the choice objects from sight immediately and donate so that children who are not as privileged as yours can have a pile of their own. And then rejoice – you have a room under control at last. But realize that this is not a one-time project. Prepare to continue until he or she grows up and leaves home permanently.

Nail Polish Remover – Two types of nail polish removers are available. One type contains acetone, a dry cleaning solvent. Use the same precautions as with other dry cleaning solutions. The second type contains amyl acetate, which is used in many paint, oil, and grease (POG) removers. Many POG removers leave residues that may cause rapid soiling. When using a POG remover, always rinse the area thoroughly with a dry solvent.

Solvent - A non-flammable spot removal solution, or dry cleaning type solvent, is preferred. Exercise caution when using a solvent. Never pour it directly onto the carpet or allow it to reach the backing, because it can damage the latex that holds the primary and secondary backings together. Acceptable solvents include Carbona®, Energine®, K2R®, Goof-Off®, etc.

Detergent Solution – Mix one fourth (1/4) teaspoon of a liquid dishwashing detergent per one (1) cup of lukewarm water. NEVER USE A STRONGER CONCENTRATION! Thorough rinsing is necessary to remove detergent residues that may cause rapid soiling. It may be necessary to rinse with warm water several times to completely remove residues. (See Residue Precautions.) Care should be used in selecting a detergent. Never use a laundry detergent of any type, because laundry detergents may contain optical brighteners (flourescent dyes) that dye the fiber. Do not select an automatic dishwashing detergent because many contain bleaching agents that destroy dyes and some fibers.

Vinegar Solution – Mix one (1) cup of white vinegar per two (2) cups of water. White vinegar is a 5% acetic acid solution. It is used most often to lower the alkalinity caused by detergent solutions or alkaline spills.

Warm Water - Lukewarm tap water should be used in most cases to rinse the cleaning solutions from the fiber. Failure to completely rinse the solutions from the fiber may cause accelerated soiling.

Ammonia Solution – Mix one (1) tablespoon of household ammonia per cup of water. Please note: Be aware that ammonia, if used improperly, can cause a color change. Be sure to test a hidden area.

When in doubt, call a professional – Professional cleaners have the ability and the equipment to use more aggressive cleaning solutions to remove stubborn spills. Always consider consulting a professional cleaner regarding any spot removal question. Carpet and Rug Institute – 1-800-882-8846.

The 2010 Bathroom Blogfest, now in its fifth year, brings together 33 bloggers from the U.S., Canada, the UK and India to address the 2010 Mad Men inspired theme “Stuck in the 60s?” A blogfest brings together writers who direct their blog posts around a single subject while making the subject relevant to their readers during a specific timeframe. Between October 25 and 29, these experts in marketing, customer experience and service, public relations, library sciences, museums, home & interior design, life, retail, flooring and healthcare IT/RTLS will call attention to improving the overall bathroom experience for end users via their 40 blogs during Bathroom Blogfest 2010.

Stay tuned next week for the actual event and check out the list below of fellow participants! It’s going to be even bigger this year!

Click here to watch a bathroom remodeling video

For most, the thought of “training” might evoke images of foam cups of coffee, legal pads – and possibly a lengthy presentation projected onto a giant screen.

But for the four-legged officers with Customs and Border Protection (CBP), it couldn’t be more different.

Tuesday morning, the Yuma Sun watched as six officers and their canine partners used local business Big Bob’s Flooring Outlet for a training exercise, drawing some extra attention from the public.

Supervisory CBP Officer James McIntyre was one of the trainers involved in the exercise Tuesday morning.

The group is based at the U.S. Port of Entry at San Luis, Ariz.

He said they do a different exercise once a week in a different location to help the dogs participate in real-world situations.

In the past, McIntyre said they’ve used locations such as the airport and other businesses around town.

“It keeps the dogs proficient,” he said. “And it allows us to control the environment.”

Trainers help place indicators, said Supervisor Teresa Small, spokeswomen with the CBP.

The dogs involved in the exercise Tuesday are narcotics dogs, McIntyre said. That means they are trained to find marijuana, hash, cocaine, heroine, methamphetamine and ecstasy.

Small said from October 2009 to July 2010, the officers have helped seize about 2,600 pounds of cocaine; almost 700 pounds of meth; just more than 200 pounds of heroin and 107,646 pounds of marijuana.

For more information about the Customs and Border Protection, visit http://www.cbp.gov/.

Stephanie A. Wilken can be reached at swilken@yumasun.comor 539-6857.

Whats the best way to remove grout and replace? We remodeled our shower, but due to foundation movement, the corners have cracked and now water seeps in. I am assuming i need to remove the old grout and redo. Anysuggestions or insight? – Daniel

Answer:

Grout replacement is one of the methods that can be used to correct minor moisture issues in a shower depending on the leak’s physical location within the shower itself.  If there is grout cracking on the walls or in the vertical corners at a level of 4 foot or higher, a small hand sized grout saw can be used to carefully saw out the joints to remove the old grout.  Thoroughly clean out the cavity with a shop-vac to remove any debris and reinstall grout where needed. On the other hand, when you have moisture seeping into adjacent rooms at levels lower than 4 foot high, this could be a sign of a much larger issue in the shower’s waterproofing system and should not be ignored.   If this is the case, I suggest that an appointment is made with a professional to inspect and address for corrective measures. - Ernie Nogales, Installation Manager

60 years ago, the United States was in a wartime economy. Military fabrics producers were running out of the silk they needed to make parachutes – and the scramble was on to produce a synthetic replacement for silk. The result, originally created by DuPont’s chemical and textile engineers is the nylon we now utilize in myriad industries. Because of nylon’s incredible strength and durability, it made its way into both the commercial and residential carpet manufacturing markets.

Since its debut all those years ago, very little has changed in the essential chemical construction of nylon carpet fiber. Attendant processes though, like dye methods, carpet construction and finishing technologies have undergone regular improvements. The result has been consistent, incremental increases in performance, so that today’s nylon carpets perform exceptionally well, whether in plush (cut-pile) or loop pile constructions.

One of the keys to nylon’s popularity is its dramatic colorfastness. Solution dyed nylon – where the polymer is colored prior to extrusion into filament fiber – is virtually impervious to the effects of direct sunlight or bleach! Even nylon dyed after extrusion is incredibly colorfast, because of the latest stain protection technologies.

When they are constructed, installed and maintained properly, nylon carpets retain their original shape and appearance, providing years of useful life. Besides their ability to resist stain and soiling, nylon carpets also respond well to common commercial cleaning methodologies. Today’s nylon carpets will never actually wear out – they simply get ugly at the end of their useful lives.

Understanding Color: Color Blending from Room to Room

One of the challenges faced with a great room design is determining how to separate the spaces while still keeping the room cohesive. Color provides one of your best tools for accomplishing that goal. Planning your color palette ahead of time will keep you from taking the safe but rather dull one-color approach, but also protect you from too much color.

For the three spaces, choose three colors that work well together. You may already have color that will be part of the room through furniture, your flooring, rugs, paint or curtains. If not, start working with the colors you like best. One good source for ideas is your local upholstery fabric store. Take your time and discover fabrics in patterns that appeal to your color sense. Ask for sample swatches of those fabrics you like the best, and then bring them back to your space to see how they work with your flooring and other room elements.

Once you define your colors, assign one to each part of the great room: kitchen, dining and living areas. Think of which space could use brightening, and which space would benefit from the richest color in your arsenal. Make those colors the focal points of each room, using furniture and accessories, maybe even by painting an accent wall. Be sure to pull all three colors into each space in some way, to keep them interconnected.

Once you’re finished, stand back and look at the room from different perspectives. Does each space stand out, while still connecting to the rest of the room? Does the color flow well from space to space? You may need to move accessories around a to get the look you want, but it’s worth the effort to create a comfortable and inviting great room that works for you and your family.