Once, the television was part of the living room and still is, in many cases. But people who want a better experience when watching movies like to design their own home theatre. This is just what Sam Sorgiovanni has done with the design of the superyacht Amara – there is a cinema room that seats 16 people on that yacht, incorporated into all the other luxury fittings such as pools, saunas and elegant dining rooms.

There is no reason for an upmarket home to have anything less, albeit you may not want yours to seat 16; then again, if you entertain it would be good to have a room large enough to seat that many people in comfort – or more. Most people enjoy watching a good movie and this is one way to ensure they can get the most out of it, especially with surround sound and no distractions from the rest of the house.

It’s also a wonderful way to show off those pictures and movies from your last overseas holiday. And if you have guests staying over the weekend or longer, watching a movie can be a great way to finish off the day’s activities, especially in winter when it may be too cold to spend much evening time outdoors.

It is not that difficult to convert a spare room into a home theatre, but if you are building your own home it’s much better to have it designed especially right from the start. That way you can make sure it is comfortable, soundproofed and has all the fittings in the correct places for when you get your new television and surround sound gear.

Many people put off making a Will until it is too late, while others don’t think they need one. However, if you have property – and this includes superannuation – you need to refer to a lawyer’s list and go and organise a Will to ensure it is distributed properly after your death. Dying without a Will or consulting a Perth Wills Lawyer only makes thing more difficult for your family and it costs a lot to have the court decide who should benefit from your assets. This cost will be taken out of your assets, so your family will get much less than otherwise.

The trouble with an old Will

You may have made a Will years ago and think that is the end of the matter, but just like many things in this life, a Will may need to be upgraded or rewritten. If you divorce and/or remarry, your current Will is no longer of any use as it is not considered valid. At least, that’s how it is in Western Australia. So a new Will must be made to take into consideration your new circumstances. Then again, if your Will was made when you were younger and you now have more children or grandchildren that have not been mentioned, you may want to rewrite your will to include them.

What every woman dreams of is a modern kitchen that is smart, functional and looks amazing. Unfortunately, people with older homes are unlikely to have this unless they get a professional kitchen designer like Kitchen Professionals in to completely renovate this important room. With the advent of open floor plans, the kitchen is in full view of everyone, so it simply must look its best.

If you are thinking of making renovations on your kitchen, don’t settle for less than the best. Even new pre-made cupboards and appliances won’t do the job you expect. Once the excitement wears off you’ll realise that your kitchen is really just another kitchen and it most likely still has some design faults, albeit not the same ones –hopefully – that it had before.

What you really need for a modern kitchen

To truly bring that kitchen out of the dark ages what you need is a professional kitchen designer. And if they also supply the materials and install the kitchen, so much the better. It can be very difficult to tee up three different companies to do the work that is needed when you fully renovate a kitchen. Having one company do everything will certainly reduce your stress, especially when you know you can trust them to provide top quality materials and finishes as well as do a great job on the actual building/tiling/plumbing/electrical work and whatever else is needed.

Drug rehab treatment at a facility such as Sivana Rehab is notoriously costly and for those who may have spent years as an addict it is almost impossible to afford, especially if it is a residential clinic. The day clinics are cheaper, but their recovery rate may not be as high due to the addict returning to a high-risk environment each night. However, there are some free residential clinics available, which may be a good option for those who want to kick the habit that is wrecking their lives.

While state funded rehab clinics are available, there are pros and cons to using them. Here are some things to consider before making a choice.

Pros

• The biggest pro is that these clinics are free of charge. People who absolutely cannot afford the cost of drug rehab can get help.
• They are often reasonably close so there is little cost for travelling.
• If you have no or few financial resources, they are certainly better than nothing.
• They are residential, so you don’t have to return to a high risk environment each night.
• They use programmes that have worked for many drug addicts in the past.
• They have some volunteer medical staff, so you are likely to get people who know a lot about drug treatment.

Expert Bali holiday advisers Easy Bali Villas says that while many people who go to Bali on holidays are content to either stay in nice hotels or villas and do all the touristy things and visit the common and popular places, others may want to seek out and experience the true culture of this exotic island by getting off the tourist trail. Here are 4 ways to help you find adventure that is a little different from the main tourist drag in Bali.

1. Head north. Whether you drive from the south to the north, or simply book accommodation there for the whole of your stay, the north will provide many attractions that are free from the usual crowds of tourists. Whether you seek beaches untouched by the tourist footprint or sleepy villages where you can mingle with the natives going about their daily life, Lovina, Singaraja and Pemuteran are all worth your time and attention. In fact, Singaraja was once the capital of Bali and is still the second largest city on the island. Gitgit is a small village outside of the city surrounded by jungle and waterfalls, for those who desire to get out of the city.

Whether you intend to travel to Bali or some other overseas holiday destination, deciding what clothes to take can consume a lot of time, especially if you’ve never been there before. Once thing to remember is that blending in with the crowd can help to avoid becoming the target of pickpockets, scammers – especially if it well known that you are staying in a villa – and even the racial hatred that seems to be so prevalent in some countries.

People in western countries have a very relaxed idea of casual attire, which is not the norm in many Asian countries. Since your clothing is often what makes you stand out in a crowd, here are some tips on what to pack for your overseas holiday and what to leave at home.

• For couples, wearing matching T-shirts will make you stand out as a tourist, something you want to avoid if possible.
• Wearing a T-shirt with a national flag, swearword, a religious symbol or a hand depicting what could be considered a rude gesture is out.
• Wearing skimpy clothing is something that should be avoided in most Asian countries as it is offensive to the culture. People in shorts and sleeveless tops are generally not allowed to go into temples, churches or some clubs.
• Open-toed shoes, sandals and flip-flops should be left for beachwear only, as many countries are unhygienic and you can sustain scratches or cuts that quickly become infected unless your feet are protected. In addition, in the event of a plane evacuation due to fire, leather lace-up shoes will protect your feet from burns and cuts.

If  a spouse or a child who still lives at home is addicted to drugs it can be very difficult to live with, especially if they become violent. It’s essential to get them into drug rehab, but of course, you can’t force other adults to do this if they don’t want to. So, how do you deal with the addiction and the violence? It is important if someone is violent for whatever reason to make sure you and your children remain safe.

Sometimes, the only way to do this is to leave. There are women’s shelters you can go to, or you might be able to stay with a friend or another family member until the danger is passed – until next time. Never confront such a person about their behaviour while they are angry or violent. Wait until they have calmed down and then tell them that if they don’t seek help you will need to leave.

Never think that their problem is your fault, even if they try to blame you. This is a cop-out for them; if they blame you then they don’t feel they have to change. If your loved one is not violent, but simply addicted to alcohol or drugs, encourage them to seek help by going to a treatment clinic or by joining Alcoholics Anonymous. Wait until they are relatively sober before suggesting it though, or they are unlikely to remember what you said or what they promised.

Whether you are looking for some way to make your home worth more, or just want to enhance your own lifestyle, a kitchen renovation is considered to be one of the best investments. If you want to sell in the near future, it is the kitchen that all women look at first. If you ask someone like Colray Cabinets, the kitchen cabinets are old-fashioned and the kitchen looks drab, it is highly likely to turn people away.

But what if you are not planning to sell? Having a great kitchen will surely enhance your lifestyle. While all the house is important, the kitchen is a room where much work is done, where people gather to access the essentials to life; food and water. It is the room where food is prepared and from whence those delicious aromas emanate each evening.

The kitchen truly is the hub of the home, so it is important for it to look nice. If you have to be in an ugly room it is very difficult to feel happy and content. If that room is not very functional, but you still have to be there and use all the inconvenient parts of it on a daily basis, you will not be living the kind of lifestyle that you want. Rather, stress, tension, frustration and annoyance are the kinds of feelings that you will be coping with.

If your kitchen is drab looking and does not function as well as you’d like, renovating it will make a great difference to your overall enjoyment of life. You will look forward to coming home from work to create a beautiful meal for the family simply because the newly renovated kitchen is now a room you can enjoy being in.

But to get a truly great kitchen you need to have it designed and built by professionals. A cabinet maker by trade will be able to ensure that all the components in your kitchen not only fit together perfectly, but look good as well. You can collaborate with the designer to ensure you choose the best options available for your budget and lifestyle.

If you have never been to Bali before there are many wonderful things to do there. But for the person who has never travelled overseas before, knowing what to do and arranging to do it can be somewhat overwhelming. One of the best ways to get the most out of your holiday to Bali is to book some of the tours that are available. That way you have a group to go with and someone to organise all the travelling details for you.

There are many activities to enjoy and places to see with a group of other tourists just like you and participating with them for a few days will give you more confidence to go out and about on your own. Here are just some of the fun things you can do on an arranged tour.

• Go white water rafting down the Ayung River and ride an elephant afterwards. Friendly guides ensure you are safe and you can choose the level of difficulty. After, you can watch the endangered elephants put on a talent show and also ride on one of them. This takes a whole day with lunch and a hot shower included.
• Go on a day trip from Bali to the protected Lembongan Island. Snorkelling in the clear waters surrounding the island to see amazing coral formations and beautiful fish, riding in a banana boat and having fun on the waterslides will keep you busy and happy all day long. There are also extra options of parasailing and scuba diving.

When renovating an older home, most people tend to look at what is visible to make their decision about where to start their renovations. However, it is often what is hidden that needs fixing first. Any qualified electrician will tell you that fires in older homes are often caused by faulty wiring. Electrical wiring is just like anything else; it wears out over time and should be replaced.

In addition, older homes are often not sealed very well and this allows mice into the ceiling cavity where they can chew on the wiring. Once the plastic cover is gone the live wires are exposed, with sparks from the resulting short-out setting the framework on fire. Before you know it, the whole house has gone up in smoke.

Even without rodents chewing the wiring it can simply degrade, especially in locations that experience a very hot climate. Eventually the protective covering wears away, leaving live wires exposed to do their damaging work. Some really old homes have been found with large rings of blackened ash around burnt out wiring. These are the lucky ones that didn’t catch on fire for some unaccountable reason.