http://naplesnews.com/news/at_home/naplesnews.com Stories: At Homeen-usat_homehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/22/gold-rush-going-smaller-didnt-shrink-bonita-couple/These days, there seems to be a lot of discussion about downsizing. +Credit the shrinking economy or the growing green trend, but more homeowners are weighing ways to reduce the size of their space. The challenge becomes how to do it properly, precisely and – if possible – with flair. Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:05:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/22/gold-rush-going-smaller-didnt-shrink-bonita-couple/at_homehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/22/make-it-green-all-plants-have-measured-life-span/Wouldn’t it be great if plants lived forever? They don’t, really, with the possible exception of the treasured Ficus plastica or, if indoors, Silkus counterfeitius, but those are materials that a real gardener would never use anyway. Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:03:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/22/make-it-green-all-plants-have-measured-life-span/at_homehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/22/cover--which-mulch-best-your-garden-here-are-pros-/Mulch is an important component of creating a Florida-friendly landscape. Imparting contrasting color to planting beds is sometimes the most important consideration for the homeowner, but there are other advantages. Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:02:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/22/cover--which-mulch-best-your-garden-here-are-pros-/at_homehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/22/district-throws-web-over-mosquito-spray-questions-/The Collier Mosquito Control District is responsible for protecting the health and well-being of District residents, relative to the diseases and physical distress caused by mosquitoes and their bites. That responsibility has not really changed since the district was established in 1950. How the district meets that responsibility has changed dramatically, however. Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:00:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/22/district-throws-web-over-mosquito-spray-questions-/at_homehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/22/smart-money-refinanced-home-moms-albatross/My father recently passed away, and I am getting familiar with my mother’s budget. My father was 67 years old when he died; he was retired, collecting Social Security and retirement from the military and the federal government. My mother just turned 65 this year and she is retired. She is collecting city retirement and Social Security. Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:00:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/22/smart-money-refinanced-home-moms-albatross/at_homehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/22/keep-control-your-saw-storm-debris-work/Clean up after a tropical storm is one of the most dangerous parts of the storm, according to a news release from Collier County government. After Tropical Storm Fay, it offered some tenets to remember for chain saw work, which is one of the most common causes of severe injuries. Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:00:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/22/keep-control-your-saw-storm-debris-work/at_homehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/22/flower-carpet-breeders-call-them-florida-hardy-low/If you’ve ever strayed into a spat between flower growers, chances are it was about roses. Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:00:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/22/flower-carpet-breeders-call-them-florida-hardy-low/at_homehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/22/treasures-attic-jardiniere-comes-victorian-lineage/My mother’s family has had this piece for over 100 years. It is approximately 40 inches tall, including both the pedestal and the bowl. What can you tell me about it — maker, age and so forth? Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:00:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/22/treasures-attic-jardiniere-comes-victorian-lineage/at_homehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/22/interiors-make-your-carpet-green-also-any-other-co/For many years now, there’s been a big concern over healthy interiors, and with good reason. The air you breathe affects your health, and indoor air has claim to most of the hours in your day. Many articles have been written about pollutants in paints, wallpaper, adhesives, flooring, air coming through the air-conditioning system, plastics that emit toxins — and the list goes on. The causes for the pollutants are many but the most talked-about seems to be volatile organic compounds. Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:00:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/22/interiors-make-your-carpet-green-also-any-other-co/at_homehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/22/new-and-useful-items-home/New and useful items for the home. Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:00:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/22/new-and-useful-items-home/at_homehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/22/taking-homes-new-pampered-level-resort-amenities/Zack Mishkin went all out to impress his girlfriend on the one-year anniversary of their romance. He treated her to a professional massage in a poolside cabana at their Tempe, Ariz., apartment complex; champagne as they relaxed in a candle-rimmed hot tub; and a gourmet dinner he grilled by the pool. In her apartment, she found chocolate-covered strawberries, more candles, and rose petals forming a giant heart on her bed. Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:00:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/22/taking-homes-new-pampered-level-resort-amenities/at_homehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/22/handyman-cement-measures-vary-there-are-translatio/I am getting estimates on a driveway from a home in Northern California and wonder what to look for in terms of the type of cement used. Previously you mentioned that one should use a 3,500- to 4,000-pound test for the driveway. How many sacks per yard does that translate to? One contractor said he uses only 3/4 aggregates. Is that better or worse than Portland cement? Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:00:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/22/handyman-cement-measures-vary-there-are-translatio/at_homehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/15/container-gardens-are-artistic-well-horticultural-/Forget planting geraniums in a whiskey barrel: The humble world of container gardening has gone upscale. Container gardening is the fastest-growing area of nurseries, says John Trax Jr., past president of the Garden Centers of America trade group. Fri, 15 Aug 2008 23:01:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/15/container-gardens-are-artistic-well-horticultural-/at_homehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/15/when-green-isnt-good-harvesting-plants-moment-ripe/Few things will ruin a season’s worth of expectations faster than dining on fresh-picked fruits or vegetables whose time hasn’t come. Or, for that matter, whose time has come and gone. Fri, 15 Aug 2008 23:00:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/15/when-green-isnt-good-harvesting-plants-moment-ripe/at_homehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/15/get-instant-renewal-fabric-tape-paint-clear-gloss/We’re normally a nation of impulse buyers, but economic worries lately have many of us thinking twice before swiping our credit cards. In this climate, redecorating your bedroom may seem like a luxury that will have to wait. But, designers say, there are plenty of inexpensive — even free — ways to change the look of a room. Fri, 15 Aug 2008 23:00:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/15/get-instant-renewal-fabric-tape-paint-clear-gloss/at_homehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/15/handyman-theres-no-single-solution-venting-your-at/I saw your article about attic fans in hgtv.com. I live in Mission, Texas, and summer heat is an average of 100 degrees; also, humidity is very high. What thermostat-controlled attic fan do you recommend for us? Fri, 15 Aug 2008 23:00:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/15/handyman-theres-no-single-solution-venting-your-at/at_homehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/15/fans-pack-more-punch-less-space-now/When summer temperatures climb, any slight breeze can feel marvelous. If you’re hiding out in your home trying to stay cool, sometimes you can get away with portable indoor fans — if not now, then in the middle of autumn. Not only can these fans help keep the hot air at bay, they also can be money-saving alternatives to turning on the air conditioner full blast. Fri, 15 Aug 2008 23:00:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/15/fans-pack-more-punch-less-space-now/at_homehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/15/smart-money-gold-gamble-not-investment/In 2005, I received a large sum of money as a payout on an investment made four years earlier. In 2001, I worked for a fledgling company that allowed each member of the marketing team to invest in the new venture. After a few years of successful development, the company was sold to a large national brand for more than $50 million. Some original investors received an amount of more than $400,000. Fri, 15 Aug 2008 23:00:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/15/smart-money-gold-gamble-not-investment/at_homehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/15/inspiration-hand-give-room-little-glamor-updated-u/Those looking to update their living space for fall without going all-out might want to consider some of today’s new side tables. Fri, 15 Aug 2008 23:00:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/15/inspiration-hand-give-room-little-glamor-updated-u/at_homehttp://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/15/divine-design-pink-peril-personal-retreat-zones-tu/Poppy and her two teen-age kids live in a dream home: a huge estate complete with a billiards room, swimming pool and squash court. However, much of the house has the same 1980s decor it did when she and her husband bought it many years ago. They had planned to update it one room at a time, but after Poppy’s husband died five years ago, Poppy and her family struggled to rebuild their lives and the house remained untouched. Fri, 15 Aug 2008 23:00:00 -0000http://naplesnews.com/news/2008/aug/15/divine-design-pink-peril-personal-retreat-zones-tu/at_home