IKEA

Founded in 1943 by a young man of 17 years old, IKEA grow to be the world’s largest furniture retailer with 313 stores in 38 countries (October, 2010). The name is an acronym comprising the initials of the founder's name (Ingvar Kamprad), the farm where he grew up (Elmtaryd), and his home parish (Agunnaryd, in Småland, South Sweden), thus come the IKEA (Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd).

What makes IKEA product different from the rest is the unique (and sometimes cute design), the rich cheerful color that we know could help a lot in making the home looks more livable, and the proactive stance IKEA takes on environmental issues and tried to prevent future incidents through a variety of measures.

In 1990, IKEA invited Karl-Henrik Robèrt, founder of The Natural Step, to address its board of directors of his system conditions for sustainability provided a strategic approach to improving the company's environmental performance. This led to the development of an Environmental Action Plan, which was adopted in 1992. The plan focused on structural change, allowing IKEA to "maximize the impact of resources invested and reduce the energy necessary to address isolated issues”. The environmental measures taken, include replacing polyvinylchloride (PVC), minimizing the use of formaldehyde, eliminating acid-curing lacquers, producing a model of chair (OGLA) made from 100% post-consumer plastic waste and several other actions.

More recently, IKEA has stopped providing plastic bags to customers, but offers reusable bags for sale. The IKEA restaurants also only offer reusable plates, knives, forks, spoons, etc. Toilets in some IKEA restrooms have been outfitted with dual-function flushers. IKEA has recycling bins for compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), energy saving bulbs, and batteries. In 2001 IKEA was one of the first companies to operate its own cross-border freight trains through several countries in Europe.

Not a wonder that this furniture retailer is such a household name for environment savvy young generations.

The JCPenney Furniture

JCPenney furniture store outlets are unmistakably the best resource to grab complete inventory of furniture at best affordable deals. CPenney furniture inventory is complete in all facets, so while you are pinning down furniture for your home, JCPenney furniture has that all for you. The style, the design, the look and the workmanship implanted in JCPenney furniture will suit best to your preferences and decorate your house awesomely.

So whether they are JCPenney furniture chairs, JCPenney furniture tables, JCPenney furniture barstools, JCPenney furniture slipovers and more, you can anticipate to transform your home into a down-to-earth, paradiascal place with additional elements of magnetism and style that you can fantasize. Considering the functionality of JCPenney furniture, not to mention, it is aboveboard after all, they whole JCPenney furniture inventory is synonymous to identified hallmark.

Whether you choose to have a classic style or the up-to-date minimalist style, JCPenney carries them both. So ones can be certain that they would bring home something suitable for their home after the visit to JCPenney furniture store. JCPenney also carries full stock of standard furniture pieces for every houseroom including bedroom furniture, kids’ furniture, dining room furniture, bathroom furniture, home office furniture, upholstery and more, which means your shopping for home furnishing is going to a wide, favorable turn. And please note that JCPenney furniture stock is subject to change anytime, so if you do not find the well-suited furniture item at the first attempt, be sure to check out some other time, maybe you will find something to fall in love with in the next turn.

Kitchen Boss

As cooking show that featuring recipes with easily obtainable affordable ingredients and can be prepared in minimal time, Kitchen Boss, is a refreshing change compared to documentary series, Cake Boss and reality series like Next Great Baker.


The host, Buddy Valastro, not only brings his family recipes to the show, but also his various members of his family as a guess star in the show. This show that starts aired by TLC on January 25, 2011, focusing mainly on well loved recipes by many, the family-friendly Italian recipes. Every episode featured meal that generally consists of main dish, side dish and dessert.


When you have a cooking show host that love the food which he cooks, (as proved by his own words, “Every day I’m saying, ‘I’m not going to eat.’ But you smell it, and before you know it, you’re eating.”) You can feel the taste and smell the delicious smell even when you are thousand miles from the studio. And when the host himself says that he gained almost 20 pounds when filming this show, I wonder how many pounds would I gained if I follow his delicious recipes at home.

Curing the Apartment with Apartment Therapy

Ever feel bored about the look of your humble abode, and no matter which way you change the position of every furniture, add up a little accessories in a room, they’re never enough to bring out the new spark of excitement. Or maybe you think that you are curse with a dreary, not-enough window kind of apartment to begin with, so no matter what you try to do with it, it just would not living up to your expectation?

Well, Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, a New York based interior designer, really understand this dilemma you are in when he wrote the Apartment Therapy. He set up to prove that even the dreariest, no-view walk-up can be transformed into a cozy urban oasis using his "eight-step home cure”. His psychological approach to the attempt of re-decorating the house is really enjoyable; they make many readers get new perspective of their own home. His advice proves practical as he teaches readers how to determine a makeover budget, de-clutter, liberate themselves from a lifetime of accumulated possessions and choose paint hues. Gillingham-Ryan's belief that the right lighting can "create warmth and visual movement" leads to more helpful advice on choosing the right fixtures, the different types of light and the virtues of high-end candles.

Even many of the readers thought that the book lack of picture (actually there’s no picture at all in the book) as a minus, but I think this clever interior design really want to freed us from decorating our home the way others doing it, and instead, he asked us to get to know the character of our house better and decorate it the way it supposed to.

Refreshing Dragon

This unique tropical fruit has many names. Some called it Pitaya or Pitahaya, some called it the strawberry pear, but many know this fruit as the Dragon Fruit. A fruit with light sweet taste, intense color and shape and outstanding flower, this refreshing fruit also boast a lot of water and other vital minerals with varied nutritional ingredients.

The dragon fruit offers many advantages to its lover. The carotene, fiber, protein, calcium, vitamin B2, B1, B3, C, phosphorus and phytoalbumins which contained inside this fruit can improve eye’s health, digestion, reduces fat, enhance body metabolism, aid in formation of healthy teeth, enhance the appearance if the skin, improve general metabolism and prevent the formation of free radicals. People who have high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity have attested to the fruit’s goodness.

The best part is, this fruit can be served in many ways, eat it fresh and raw, dried or make a healthy juice from it and the level of goodness still undisturbed.

Due to the temperature tolerance of this fruit, you can only find this fruit in tropical country where it is grow extensively, like in Central America, Vietnam and Malaysia. For hobbyist who wants to try to grow this fruit, there are certain things to be remembered. Rainfall; excessive rain could leads to flower drop and the fruits will rot. Light tolerance; In conditions that have excessive light intensity, it is advisable to provide shade. There are species that are susceptible to bleaching when exposed to high radiations. And temperature tolerance; Just like the rainfall, excessive temperature can damage the Pitahaya fruit. Optimal temperatures should be between 38-40 degrees Celsius.

Capturing the Beauty of Paris in Philadelphia

Everyone could agree how beautiful Paris in springtime is, so who would not want to go to Paris in the spring – especially after a windy winter? It’s not April, and it’s not Paris, but “Springtime in Paris”.

The Philadelphia Flower Show started in 1929 and now has become one of the biggest flower shows in the world. This 2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show runs from March 6 to 13 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. In the past, the show has introduced several unusual plants to the American public, including the poinsettia, the chrysanthemum, and the bird of paradise.

Featuring romantic and elegant scene of Paris which will include a giant model of the Eiffel Tower; "Opulent Paris," a garden exhibit in Belle Epoque–style; "Romantic Paris," featuring a wedding at Notre Dame; and additional exhibits that will reference Paris's café culture, the catacombs, Tour de France, a perfumerie, and more.

For those who have green thumbs, there are presentations of free gardening, as well as dozens of educational shows that study the latest trends in gardening. There are competitive classes for producers and gardeners from all over the world who will showcase their valuable plants and compete for prestigious awards. More than 580 artistic and horticultural classes will be on display more than 2000 entries in classes ranging from miniature setting pressed plants.

All proceeds from the flower show will benefit the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and will help fund the launch of Plant One Million campaign, a campaign to encourage planting one million trees in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, and City Harvest.

With all these excitements, 2011’s Philadelphia Flower Show, runs from March 6 to 13, is certainly not an event to be missed.