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Dana – Roomful Express Furniture asked:



Choosing the Best Style for Your Needs



If you are planning on purchasing new dining room furniture, you have a big decision to make. The furniture will be in your home for a long time and will become a part of many family memories. How can you determine what dining room furniture is right for your home? When you’re choosing dining room furniture, you want to be sure that you are buying a table and chairs that will fit well into your room and give you the flexibility and space you need for those special meals. You want a table that will look great when it is not in use, able to accommodate people comfortably, and wide enough to fit all place settings and serving dishes. Also consider how often you will be using the room and what for.

 

Pick Dining Room Furniture That Fits Your Lifestyle



Is your dining room more of a multifunction room rather than just a room for dining? Do the kids do their homework at the table? Do you use it as a workspace for projects? Is this where family and friends gather to play games? If so, you may want a more casual style for your dining room. The popular pub-style tables teamed with bar stools could be a good choice for you. You can comfortably seat up to eight people equitably around the table.

If, on the other hand, your dining room serves as a space for informal family dinners and gatherings, you may want to consider larger dining room furniture to accommodate your gatherings. If you use your dining room for family meals, you may want to consider purchasing casual dining room furniture that is both practical and pleasing to the eye.If the dining room is a place your family frequents daily, you will want to make sure it is also durable, welcoming, and comfortable.

If you frequently entertain company, and your dining room is reserved strictly for special occasions and gatherings, such as holidays, you may want to go with a more formal and elegant approach to your dining room furniture. You will want your dining room furniture to be warm and elegant for your guests, and to create a memorable experience. If this is the case, formal dining room furniture may be the right choice for your needs.

Implement Your Personal Style



Dining room furniture is as varied as the families that use it. Your dining room furniture should reveal your personal style. Styles of dining room furniture can vary from traditional and classic to contemporary and retro. Although there are dozens of style to choose from, it is best if you stick with one style when furnishing the dining room. You can find dining sets that are sleek and contemporary, ornately traditional, or rough hewn and rustic. Do you want the dining room to have a cohesive feel with the rest of your home? If so, dining room furniture that coordinates with the architectural style of your house and the decor in your other rooms will achieve that affect. Of course, you can always add some diversity. For instance, a metal table usually looks contemporary, but choosing one with curved legs will add more formality to the room. If you want to mix and match, do so with caution. Although it is best to stick with one particular furniture style, it is best to create a beautiful and individually stylized dining room by combining various style choices. Just be sure you are aware of what may or may not coordinate with one another. Style choices are plentiful. You are sure to find one perfect for your own individual style.

The Size Factor



The size of your dining room is just as important as the style of the furniture. You want your room to be comfortable, not overcrowded with furnishings. Be sure to measure before you purchase any dining room furniture. Know exactly how much space you have in the room for various pieces of dining room furniture. You don’t want your room to be overcrowded, and you also don’t want it to look bare. Your dining room chairs will need to be at least 48 inches away from the wall or other furniture to allow ease of movement. Also remember to think about the length of the table when its leaves are extended.

The size of your dining room will be greatly responsible for determining which pieces will fit in to the room. The dining room table will be the heart and soul of the dining room, the centerpiece of the furniture selections you make. All other pieces of furniture should be based around your dining room table. When looking at dining room furniture, you should consider that if the room is large, a large dining room table will make the room feel more complete. You can add side tables, a hutch, curio cabinet, or other small tables around the room as well. If you have a smaller dining room, a small to medium sized table will be best.

 

Choosing the perfect dining room furniture can be quite simple when you keep the above points in mind. The best way to go about purchasing your furniture is to take your time, and to be sure that you are happy with what you have chosen. Be sure to look around at all the various styles and sizes, and consider which would be best. Finding new dining room furniture should be fun and exciting.

thecalifornialife asked:


I was wondering how most university dining commons work? Or if you only know about yours can you explain it. At UCSB they force all the freshmen to get a meal plan. I guess you can say I am asking if they force students to get a meal plan or do people volunteer themselves into a plan at most universities?

Patrick asked:


I want to help, but I don’t want to give money. I want to buy food and send the food. Are there charities that will pick up my food for me, or is there a charity that I can send food to?

Susan Thixton asked:


A recent article posted on The Consumerist website brings up a very good point (and lesson) that pet owners should take note of…

The article comes from a pet owner whose Yorkie became ill, and after a couple of days in the vet’s office, the owner looked at her Eukanuba canned food and realized it had expired 3 years ago. When she checked the cupboard she discovered several other cans of dog food – all recently purchased at PetCo – had expiration dates from 2004. 

What happened to this pet owner (and pet) can easily happen to anyone. How many times have you purchased something and never looked at the expiration date? 

With pet food – somewhere on the can or bag, usually on the side or back of the bag – is the ‘Best By’ date. With most of the manufacturers that I have spoken with, this date does NOT mean the food is officially expired – it just means that the food does not provide the nutrition as stated in the Guaranteed Analysis. The ‘best’ nutrition for your pet has expired – but again in most cases – per what the manufacturers tell me – the food is still ‘good’. 

Shelf life is one of the questions I ask manufacturers about and provide in Petsumer Report. It varies greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer. The shelf life of dry pet foods can vary from 4 months to 3 years – canned and/or pouched products vary from 1 year to 5 years. Treats usually have the same shelf life as the manufacturer’s dry food – but just to keep things confusing, that can vary too. The ‘Best By’ date provided on the food – does NOT tell you how old the product is – it does NOT tell you when the food was manufactured. It only tells you the date that particular manufacturer has determined the food no longer provides the pet with the proper nutrition. While some ingredients in the food might still provide adequate nutrition – other ingredients have faded over time. 

All pet foods that are naturally preserved begin to lose their nutritional value almost immediately after they are made. This is the drawback to natural preservatives (but the ONLY drawback – you ONLY want naturally preserved pet foods and treats for your pet ). So the challenge is to find a pet food that is very fresh. Our friends at AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control Officials – rule makers of the pet food industry) have made that a little difficult for pet owners – adding to the challenge. Pet food manufacturers are not required to put the date the pet food was manufactured on the bag or can – ONLY the date that particular manufacturer has determined the food no longer is ‘best’. As I stated above – it varies a great deal from product to product – manufacturer to manufacturer. 

So here’s what you can do to assure your pet is eating ONLY fresh food – providing the best that product offers…

Call the manufacturer and ask them what the shelf life is for their dry foods and/or canned foods. Let’s say ABC Pet Food Company tells you that the shelf life of their Premium ABC dry foods is 18 months and their Premium ABC canned/pouched foods is 2 years. With that information – you then look at the ‘Best By’ date on the product. As an example, if the best by date on the dry dog food you are considering says June 2008 – knowing that ABC told you 18 months for dry food, you would know that the food was made in January of 2007. Using today’s date – October 20, 2007 – this would tell you this particular bag of ABC dry dog food is 10 months old. 

With a canned food – the ABC canned cat food best by date is also June 2008. This would tell you that this can was made in June 2006 and thus it would be 14 months old in October 2007. 

Most of the time, when pet owners look at the ‘best by’ date and they see June 2008 – they think ‘this is good – this food still has 8 months until it expires’. I was guilty of this until I learned the differences too. But the bigger picture needs to be explained. 

Using my above examples – I would NOT purchase a dry dog or cat food that was already 10 months old. Ideally – dry foods should be four months or less old and you should use them within a two month time frame. Again, with any naturally preserved dry product – the nutritional value starts to deteriorate almost immediately. Fresh is best. I would recommend purchasing and using the food within six months of manufacturing. Storing the food in an air tight container will help keep the food fresher after opening the bag – providing your pet with more quality nutrition. With canned products – it’s a different ballgame. You definitely want to purchase and use the food before the best by date expires – but the quality of the nutrition is protected by the canning process. Any unused opened can must be covered and stored in the refrigerator and used within a couple of days.

Call your pet food’s manufacturer and ask them the shelf life of dry foods and canned foods. I know it’s a chore, just one more thing you have to do and look out for – but it is very important. You want what you pay for – quality nutrition for your pet – and a fresh product will provide that (of course you have to pay attention to ingredients too – but that is a whole different subject!). Get yourself into the habit of looking at the ‘Best By’ date BEFORE you purchase the pet food and or treat. Your effort will not only provide your pet with better nutrition – getting yourself into the habit of looking at the expiration date could just save you from an experience similar to the pet owner mentioned in the beginning of this article – and a sick pet.

Wishing you and your pet the best,

Susan Thixton

TravelChannelTV asked:

Anthony Bourdain presents an X-rated selection of all that’s lip-smacking and luscious in the world of food. For hard-core viewers only! Anthony Bourdain: Food Porn airs Monday, February 9th at 10PM only on Travel Channel! www.travelchannel.com