A Room With a View

Come rain or shine, day or night, glass conservatories always offer a different atmosphere than any other room in the house. Originally intended for horticulture by Dutch farmers some 300 years ago, conservatories are always all the rage for more than just backyard botany.

The diversity of uses, along with the sheer comfort, makes for an increase in property value as well as a boost to ones everyday quality of life. The addition of a glass conservatory also contributes to the rest of the house. Your home will receive a lot more light, thus making it warmer and more of a live-in pleasure. There are many uses for a conservatory, here are a few:

Winter Garden
These mini-greenhouses are perfect for the potted projects of homebound horticulturists. As the climate inside is easily controllable, youll soon find you and your favourite plants thriving in only the most favourable of environments.
The versatility of climate control means that youll be able to accommodate plants you never thought possible.

Shed
Of course you may need the facilities of a tool shed, or a potting shed. Keep your tools on hand, in a place and in a style like no other. from professional landscapers to hobbyists, be the master of your green thumb and the envy of the Joneses.

Lounge Area
One of the most popular uses for conservatories, glass lounge areas are perfect for those rainy Saturdays. Keep the rain out and enjoy a good book underneath a canopy of self-cleaning glass. A simple couch or bench will transform your space into an inviting area in which to relax and unwind.

Entertainment or Dining Area
Conservatories provide ideal cover for Sunday BBQs. Open the doors and let your friends and family spill out into the garden.
A lot of enthusiasts opt for swimming pools, Jacuzzis or bars in their glass houses. Pool tables, pinball machines and such are ideal for creating a games room in your space.
These areas are also perfect for doubling up as relaxing environments for enjoying a glass of wine, or watching the game with friends. Dont let the weather get you down, rather transform into all year-round relaxation.

Gym
A treadmill here, an exercise bike there, and youll have the most inviting home gym on the block. Work out in the comfort of your home, and take in the beauty of the world outside.

Perfect for pumping iron or just getting in shape, your gym conservatory will help you stick to your routine. Its also ideal for yoga, pilates or just creating a Zen-like environment through meditation.

Artists studio
Great for a private sanctuary in which to express oneself; glass conservatories open up your everyday living experience to the world outside.
Controllable internal conditions mean that youll always be able to appreciate every external weather condition.
These additions to the everyday house are proving popular in recent real estate trends. Artists studios (or glorified conservatories) are marketed as just that, and have the added capacity to increase the value of your home.

Kids Playroom
Let the little ones run wild in their own private den, and keep the rest of your house mess-free. Glass conservatories are also generally low maintenance and easy to clean.
Perfect for keeping an eye on the little ones, while still having enough freedom to do what you need. These areas can easily be kept secure with a little childproofing, leaving you to enjoy your space and your children to enjoy their own recreational area.

Guest Room
With built in blinds or controlled tinting, glass conservatories will have your guests feeling like theyre living in the lap of five star luxury. Your new unique guest room will have them extending their stay and coming back for more, so use it wisely.

Observatory
Enjoy a blanket of stars without leaving the comfort of home. With the small addition of a telescope, one can convert ones living area into a personal observatory. The aesthetic beauty of glass (or rather what lies behind) will keep your eyes on the skies.

Other
The possibilities are endless, and are ultimately up to the homeowner to decide how to best utilise the space.
Conservatories can also be used for hobby space, as a library or computer room, a home office, or even a sleeping area for dogs during those cold nights.

Many conservatory companies recommend Pilkington when it comes to glass. Having been in the glass industry for 179 years, Pilkington is recognised as the world's technological leader in glass. Out of all of their innovative products, Pilkington Activ - the world's first self-cleaning glass is one of their greatest products and an ideal glass for conservatory construction.

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Quit Smoking: Why People Do Bad Things (Even When They Know They Shouldn't)

Do you do Bad Things? Even though you know you shouldn't?

It's not your fault. It really isn't. You know you should stop doing it, but no matter how much you know that, and how much you try, you just can't stop!

Everyone knows how to lose weight. Don't eat fattening foods. Exercise. Everyone knows how to give up smoking. Dont light the cigarette. Yet having this knowledge just isn't enough. Sometimes even having the desire isn't enough! Time and again I hear about people who get really close to quitting smoking. They can get all the way down to one or two cigarettes a day, but just can't give up those last two. Many even make it all the way down to zero, but the cravings, oh the cravings! They are wretched, those cravings. Most will go back to smoking within the first few days. They can cut away most of the "stuff" that keeps them glued to the cigarettes, even not be addicted to nicotine anymore(!), but there is just something deep in their core that magnetically pulls them back in, like two lovers who know they are bad for each other but just can't help themselves.

What is this thing? What is at this core?

Let me take a step back for a moment. How many adults do you know who are happy? I mean really, truly happy? Think that question is foolishness? Let me ask you this. How many people do you know who love their work? I'm talkin' jump out of bed in the morning, can't wait to start. Sadly, the percentage is very small. Why is this?

We live in an interesting quick-fix culture. People don't really have to deal with their issues. We've got:

* television
* movies
* shopping
* toys
* and hitting the gym

to distract us and make us feel better. Even more than that, many people's issues are quite buried. Think of dreams that were squashed when we were young. "An artist? You could never make a living at that! You should be a doctor!" People often forget what their dreams once were.

As a result, I see an awful lot of unhappy, unfulfilled people walking around. They don't know what is bothering them, they just have that gnawing feeling that there must be more. Advertisers pray on this, selling us more and more bottles and gizmos to give us that ever elusive Happiness.

True inner needs? People either:

* think they're impossible to fulfill
* are too scared and resigned to fulfill them
* or are so disassociated from those needs that they don't even know what they would be even if they had to guess!

All those "bad" things -- smoking, overeating, gambling, alcohol, the list goes on and on -- are easy ways to fill the void. Smokers will be able to relate to this one -- if you've just had a fight with your family, what do you do? You go for a smoke. Smoking makes it feel like the problem goes away. (I call this the "smokescreen." Har har!)

I'll let you in on a little secret--the real reason it's so hard to quit is not the nicotine. It's this void-filling. When you quit smoking (or any bad habit), you're suddenly faced with real life. All those stresses and needs that you've been avoiding? There they are, pulling at your coat tails, yelling, "Pay attention to me! Pay attention to me!" If you got in touch with your real inner needs and took baby steps to start fulfilling them, you would actually have little desire for cigarettes. It's true! I see it happen time and again in my Stop Smoking Coaching practice.

How do you do that, you ask? Here are some baby steps that you can start trying out now:

* Next time, instead of taking that quick fix--stop.
* Have a little quiet time and listen to what your insides have been trying to tell you.
* Try journaling -- don't edit your thoughts, just write.
* Some people find meditation and yoga to be great accesses.
* Try deep breathing.
* Go for a quiet, leisurely walk by yourself.
* Personally, I find it easiest to just start noticing where in life I seem to be avoiding things the most, or if I want something more immediate and active, doing a mindmap (a word drawing) to figure out what I'm really thinking.

For each person, the key to figuring out your needs is different. Play around with it, don't give up! You'll be glad you did!

Jill Binder is The Stop Smoking Coach with a 90 day program to show people the 8 steps to quitting smoking forever, with a 100% success rate. She is the author of "What's Your Smoking Type?" and has appeared on "Daytime" (TV), "Radioactive Women" (Radio), "Good Times" (magazine), and "Metro Toronto Today" (newspaper).

You can sign up for her newsletter, "YourTurn - Turn Your Weaknesses Into Your Perfect Life" at http://www.StopSmokingCoach.ca

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