Blonde Network

I have dirty blonde hair and I was wondering how to lighten it with at home remedies…. If you have any suggestions, that would be great! Thanks!

Many home sellers who want to sell their home quickly know that staging is the name of the game. One problem with staging is that what seems like neutral decor to one person is a major turnoff to another. Most of the time, what you do with your property is your business and those visiting can either be polite about it or leave. However, when you’re selling your home, you should consider sacrificing your aesthetics for a quicker sale and better sale price. Here is a short list of 6 things that you should remove from the visible portions of your home while trying to sell.

1. Implements of Killing

While many people are gun enthusiasts or knife enthusiasts or hunting enthusiasts, many people are not. Many people will not feel comfortable in a home filled with guns and this could have a material effect on their choice to buy yours. While your tastes should not be considered indicative of the entire neighborhood, many people may look at your lovingly tended collection of .357 Magnums and decide that this neighborhood is a little too trigger-happy for them. It’s probably not true (we devoutly hope!), but it could affect your home’s sale.

2. Hunting/Fishing Trophies

Your collection of 10 point bucks or record-setting salmon may make for exciting dinner-time conversation between you and your friends, but to some buyers they are a collection of murdered Bambis. Take them down and pack them carefully so that they can shine with glory in your next home and not give a prospective buyer the willies.

3. Pets

This is definitely not a call to get rid of Fluffy or Rover; quite the opposite! While you may not notice the presence of a pet, some non-pet oriented buyers will, even if it stays politely away from them. Unless your home is a working kennel or cattery, having pets around during a walkthrough is pretty much a no-no. Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum and keep an eagle eye out for stray hairs. Get a non-pet owning friend to give your home the “sniff test”, as you have become used to the smell of your pet and may not notice a faint odor. Give your kitty or puppy a vacation in a friend’s home or a kennel/cattery while your house is being shown and it will reduce the likelihood of someone eschewing your house because a hated member of Canis or Felis is in residence.

4. Sexually Themed… anything

You and your social set may think that your velvet drapes featuring a couple in flagrante delicto are daring and beautiful, but the person touring your home will probably not. As a nod to their sensibilities, exchange your favorite drapes for something a little less artistic. The same goes for your library of erotica and any aides d’ amour that you might have as shelf decorations. The hooks in your bedroom ceiling should probably be removed as well, unless you plan to hang a plant or something on there.

5.War Memorabilia

Collections of gas masks and a Nazi uniform doth not a homey home make. Save it for your new home, where your grenade case can shine in all its polished glory. While Mein Kampf is an important historical document, it may not be considered in that light by someone whose family experienced discrimination and death in WWII. Just put it away until you sell or, at least, until the buyer is finished touring the home.

6. Racist/Sexist/Anythingist Items

Aside from the questionable sensibilities of anyone who thinks Ku Klux Klan themed items are great room décor, there is the issue of what your buyers will be impressed by. Many will not buy from you on principle. Even if the item is something that you find funny and inoffensive and don’t take seriously, like a “blonde joke” poster, take it down until you have a new home to put it up in.

Concrete Blonde – Take Me Home

Top Chefs jealously guard their secret recipes. But — Top Chefs also borrow recipes from their favorite restaurants!

One of the most copied restaurants is Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar.

Applebee’s, of course, is the largest casual dining chain in the world, with locations throughout the U.S. and many countries worldwide. As they like to say of themselves, “We take pride in having a friendly, welcoming, neighborhood environment for both our staff and guests that makes everyone enjoy their Applebee’s experience.”

Applebee’s continues to set the standards for best practices in the restaurant industry. Here are just a few of their recent awards:

Chain of the Year: Restaurant Hospitality Magazine.

Excellence in Retention Award: Nation’s Restaurant News, People and Performance Award Council.

Heart of the Workplace Award: In recognition of a company that models best people practices in their workplace and makes a difference in the lives of their employees and their communities – People Report.

From delicious appetizers to mouthwatering burgers to tasty salads, they’ve got some of the best meals worth sampling — and cooking home.  Give your dinner guests the best — whether family, friends — or that date you just met on WUVING.com

Here are the Top 5 most copied recipes from Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar:

–Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad–

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup corn flake crumbs

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast half

oil for frying

3 cups chopped romaine lettuce

1 cup red cabbage

1 cup Napa cabbage

1/2 carrot, julienned or shredded

1 green onion, chopped

1 tablespoon sliced almonds

1/3 cup chow mein noodles

Dressing:

3 tablespoons honey

1 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Grey Poupon Dijon mustard

1/8 teaspoon sesame oil

Prepare dressing ingredients by mixing in a small bowl. Refrigerate while preparing salad.

Cut each chicken breast into 5 strips. In one bowl, beat egg with milk.

In another bowl, combine flour with corn flake crumbs, salt and pepper.

Preheat oil over medium heat.

Dip individual chicken pieces in egg mixture and then roll in the flour mixture. Fry chicken until browned, drain and set aside. Prepare salad by tossing the chopped romaine with the chopped red cabbage, Napa cabbage, and carrots. Sprinkle sliced green onion on top of the lettuce. Sprinkle almonds over the salad, then the chow mein noodles.

Cut the chicken into small chunks. Place the chicken onto the salad forming a pile in the middle. Serve with salad dressing on the side.

–Applebee’s Baby Back Ribs–

3 racks (about 1 lb. each) pork baby back ribs, each cut in half Barbecue sauce:

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup apple cider vinager

3 tablespoons dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Put ribs in a large pot with enough water to cover them. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour or until ribs are fork tender.

2. Mix all sauce ingrediants together in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered, stirring often, for 30 minutes or until slightly thickened.

3.Heat broiler. Line broiler with foil for easy cleanup. Place ribs, meat side down, on broiler pan, brush with 1/2 the sauce and broil 4-5 inches from heat source for 6 to 7 minutes. turn ribs over, brush with remaining sauce and broil 6 to 7 minutes longer or until edges are slightly charred.

–Applebee’s Bourbon Street Steak–

1/2 cup bottled steak sauce

1/4 cup bourbon whiskey

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons prepared mustard

4 beef rib, round, or chuck steaks (10 ounces each)

Combine all the ingredients except the steaks in a baking dish or resealable plastic storage bag; mix well. Add the steaks; cover (or seal) and refrigerate for 2 hours, or overnight. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill the steaks for 12 to 15 minutes, or until desired doneness, turning them over halfway through the grilling.

–Applebee’s Blonde Brownies–

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

3 /4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter (10 Tbsp.)

2 cups packed golden brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup chocolate chips

3/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Flour and butter a 9 x 13 x 2 pan. Sift flour into a bowl. Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside. Melt butter. In mixing bowl, place melted butter and add sugar, mixing well. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well. Add flour slowly, blending. Batter will be slightly thick.

Spread in pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips and pecans over all. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes…

–Applebee’s Lemonade–

1 Quart water

1 Cup sugar

1 Cup FRESH lemon juice

Sparkling Water (not tonic water, like Perrier) Mix first three togther. Fill a tall glass 2/3 to 3/4 with Lemon mixture then fill with sparkling water.

An intresting variation is to puree some fruit (raspberries, strawberries, etc) with a little superfine or powdered sugar and put that in the glass before adding the the lemonade and water.

- Brian Alan Burhoe – www.brianalanburhoe.com

Bon Appetit!

I have bought hair dye from drugstores (Loreal Dream Blonde) and from Salon supply store, using Conair and Loreal Mega Blonde. I have bought light ash blonde colors and light natural blonde. I want to dye my hair on my own … what am I doing wrong?

Hair is made of the protein kerotin, the same substance found in nails and skin. Each hair rises out of a bulb-like follicle and goes through a cycle of growth for up to five years. It then stops growing and goes into a period of rest, after which it falls out and a new hair starts to grow.

Hair loss can be caused by a number of factors, some of which are circulation, stress, hormonal changes and nutrition. Of course the toughest factor to overcome is genetics.

Hair is a reflection on the overall condition of your body. A healthy and well-nourished body reflects in bouncy and healthy hair. Analyzing a snip of hair can give a clear picture of any deficiency of vitamins and minerals. Any sort of nutritional deficiency would result in thinning hair, hair loss or even baldness. A malfunctioning thyroid can also play havoc with the condition of your hair. Excessive stress and certain medications are known to contribute to falling hair

Iron deficiency is the biggest problem for non genetic hair loss amongst women in Britain.

For iron to be absorbed in the body Vitamin C and Lysine acid needs to be taken. If you do not eat alot of red meat then it could be difficult to absorb enough iron, so it is advisable to consider using a supplement. It is very important to look after your digestion by eating vegetables and fruit on a daily basis. It is also important to eat the following foods on a regular basis.

Home Hair Treatments

Here are some herbal homemade hair treatments and natural home remedies for hair, which have also stood the test of time:

When your hair looks very stressed, nettles are a wonderful tonic and detox. Infuse dried nettle leaves (some health food stores now carry nettle tea bags) and drink the tea. The infusion can also be used as a hair rinse.

Home remedy for conditioning your blond hair – To shine and condition blond hair, rinse in chamomile tea. Add one teaspoon of lemon juice to a liter of tea for extra shine.

Rosemary – Beauticians have swore by the benefits of Rosemary herb as a beauty and skin aide. It will nourish your dry and flaky scalp helping you get rid of dandruff. It also slows down premature hair loss and graying.

Chamomile – Chamomile is a great conditioner for damaged and dry hair. When used for rinsing after shampoo it will help restore shine and bring out the natural highlights for blondes. It also helps to strengthen the hair to prevent breakage, tangling and split ends.

Ginger hair oil is a wonderful hair treatment which stimulates hair growth, boosts the scalp’s circulation, and alleviates dandruff. Ginger treatment will leave your hair feel soft, clean, and pleasantly smelling of herbs. In order to make this fantastic hair remedy at home, grate 1 tbsp fresh ginger root, place it in a cheesecloth, and squeeze ginger juice (you will get about 1/4 tsp juice). Mix the fresh juice with 1/4 cup light sesame oil and blend well together. To treat hair, apply the ready ginger hair oil onto your scalp, massage inside your hair, and leave on for about 15 minutes before shampooing.