byLyn Lomasi; Owner & Ordained Shaman atIntent-sive Nature &Brand Shamans Content Community LLC

Are you tired of the same old backyard setup? Ready to transform your outdoor space into a stylish and functional oasis? Look no further! In this guide, we will empower you with all the knowledge you need to create a stunning outdoor kitchen that leaves your guests in awe.

5. Materials Matter: Unveiling the Best for Outdoor Kitchen Construction

Choosing the right materials is paramount to ensure your outdoor kitchen stands the test of time. From weather-resistant countertops to durable flooring, our guide will help you make the right decisions to guarantee your kitchen's longevity.

6. DIY with Confidence: The Art of Building Your Outdoor Kitchen

For the ambitious DIY enthusiasts, we present a step-by-step guide to building your outdoor kitchen with confidence. From laying the foundation to installing appliances, this section will empower you to take on the challenge like a pro.

7. Contractor’s Touch: Benefits of Seeking Professional Expertise

Entrusting your outdoor kitchen construction to a professional yields numerous advantages. Discover the benefits of hiring a seasoned contractor, from reducing construction time to accessing superior craftsmanship.

8. Safety First: Ensuring a Secure and Enjoyable Outdoor Kitchen

Prioritize safety without compromising style. Learn how to implement safety measures such as proper ventilation, fire-resistant materials, and smart appliance placements to guarantee a worry-free cooking experience.

9. Personalize and Enhance: Tailoring Your Outdoor Kitchen Experience

Go the extra mile by personalizing your outdoor kitchen with unique touches. Incorporate seating arrangements, decorative elements, and functional add-ons that bring out your personality and create a welcoming ambiance for your guests.

10. Time to Take Action: Embark on Your Outdoor Kitchen Journey

The journey to creating a functional and stylish outdoor kitchen starts now. With the knowledge and confidence gained from this guide, take immediate action and make your dream outdoor kitchen a reality!

In conclusion, a remarkable outdoor kitchen is within your grasp. By combining functionality with style and leveraging the expertise of professionals or your DIY prowess, you'll create a space that elevates your home and enhances your lifestyle. So, are you ready to unlock the true potential of your backyard? Embrace the transformation and let your outdoor kitchen become the talk of the town!

Remember, the key to success lies in planning, taking action, and never settling for less. A bold and powerful outdoor kitchen awaits - seize the opportunity today!

by Stacey Carroll, Contributing Writer

Don't get caught in a rental agreement where you will end up unhappy and can't wait for the end of your lease to come. Oftentimes, renters won't tell you a lot of important things up front. That's why it's important to ask these 5 questions before renting anywhere.

What is included with the rent?

Some properties include water, sewer, trash, heat, and gas or some variation. At the very least they should include water, sewer and trash. Properties that include nothing can add $50.00 or more to your rent bill every month. I rented an apartment that included nothing. The base rent was $574.00. Once they included water, sewer, and trash, it became $630.00 and sometimes higher. Can you afford it?

How is the rent paid? What types of payment do they accept?

Most properties accept cash, money order, and check. A few accept on-line payments, credit cards, and sometimes even PayPal. Many properties don't accept cash, including one that I've rented. It often has to be a money order or personal check. There is a drop box for after hours rent payments.

Another of my rental properties accepted cash, money order, and personal checks, but there was no drop box. She came around on the first of the month and physically picked up the checks. It meant I had to be at home every first of the month.

Find out what the grace period is for rent. Most apartment complexes give you until the fifth of the month. One of my last complexes had no grace period.

Who does the maintenance? What are you responsible for?

In one of my last apartments, we had one maintenance guy. I ended up doing or starting a lot of my maintenance myself. If I spend my own money; new faucet filter, toilet kit, paint, knobs, I do not get reimbursed via a rent reduction.

Figure out who does the maintenance and how much of it you are responsible for. Find out what they consider to be “normal wear and tear”. Otherwise, you could find yourself fixing a lot of someone else's property.

What types of people live in the community? Are they well-behaved? Are their children well behaved?

Get honest answers on who your neighbors are before you sign that lease. I was very clear with one landlord when I told her I was a writer, single, childless, and needed endless amounts of quiet. She assured me that there were no children in the building I was moving in to.

A week after I moved in I started hearing “Woohoo’s!” and a screaming toddler. It turns out almost every apartment in that building has a child. The other tenants are loud, slam doors, and stomp feet. The walls and floors are paper thin. That meant I was outright lied to. So, sometimes you may even have to ask around to find out the truth.

Is there a lot of crime, theft in the complex or surrounding area?

Contact the police department and ask about criminal activity on the block and surrounding neighborhood. Visit the complex at night and see how many people are outside. Observe their activities. After 11pm, you should not see people loitering unless it’s on their porches.

Author Bio:

Stacey Carroll is the author of the thriller series - Avia.  She also authors the paranormal erotica series - The Blooddoll Factory. Stacey grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. she went to college at Indiana State University (ISU) and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in aerospace in the professional pilot program. She has flown Cessna 152s, Cessna 172s, the Pipe Seneca and the King Air. She also graduated with a minor in computer science that specialized in web design.

She has always been interested in reading and writing, and the first book she was ever read was the Grimms Brother's Fairy tales. From the ages of 6 to 11, she read the Nancy Drew series. By the age of 11, she had graduated to Stephen King novels. A few of her favorites include Carrie, Tommyknockers, The Dark Tower Series up to book 3 (That's where it stopped in the late 80s/ early 90s), Pet Semetary, The Shining, Night Shift, The Stand, It, Cujo, Christine, The Eyes of the Dragon and Thinner (Richard Bachman). In her teen years, she moved on to Anne Rice and got through about four of those books before they degraded. If you've ever read Anne Rice, you know book 5 isn't readable. Stacey has read a couple Harry Potter books as she was introduced to them in the early 2000s, and she's never read or watched anything Twilight or 50 Shades. Sorry. I'm a vampire purist, and nothing needs to be said about the latter. You already know.

She is currently an author and freelance writer. She received an honorable mention in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine in 2008 for a short story entitled The Field. In 2014, she was published in 13 Stories by Us by MacKenzie Publishing.

Other books by Stacey

• AVIA II
• AVIA Memories

by Stacey Carroll, Contributing Writer

Work/Life Balance is not as cut as dry as one would think. Our gut instincts tell us that it should be an even mix between working and living. We should have enough time to go to work, come home, spend time with our families, go on vacation, pay bills, and relax.

Anyone who’s ever had a job knows that this is not always the case. Most times we’re scrambling between household duties, work and bills. There just never seems to be enough time.

Who’s responsible for Work/Life Balance? Most publications state that it is the individual’s responsibility to achieve a balance. Yet, we look to our workplaces to help us with that goal; flex-time, personal time, vacation and holiday pay. These are simply tools for us to use in order to achieve our work/life balance.

ASTD Press has a pamphlet entitled “Fundamentals of Work Life Balance” by Erica D. Chuck. On the first page she states how “recent decades have seen an increase dual income households.” This means that more of us are working, leaving us with less time for a home-life.

How do we achieve the balance? We should all start with a few basic questions before we ever apply for a job let alone walk into the interview.

How much money do I need to make?

This is by far the most important question. We need enough money to pay our bills and save a little bit for emergencies and retirement. For me, that’s between $15.00 and $16.00 an hour. I can live comfortably off that working fulltime. If I wanted to work part-time, it’d need to be more like $20.00 to $23.00 an hour. The latter probably isn’t feasible. So, remember, the hourly goal also has to be realistic.

Once that question is answered, we have an hourly wage objective and can pursue jobs in that wage range.

What do I want out of my career?

This question is also important. If you want to advance and achieve promotions, using a lot of flextime and work/life balancing options may not be a good idea. There can be a stigma to using such balancing options. If all of your coworkers work 40+ hours a week, and you work 35, there may be some resentment.

It’s always best to talk to your supervisor about options and a plan for your career. Learn directly what the impact will be if you use a lot of flex-time, opt to work at home, or take a lot of personal days. It may affect your advancement. Know what the consequences are beforehand.

What do I want out of the Company I work for?

Do you want a fun, friendly atmosphere? Do you want to make a difference? Do you want to feel useful and productive. Examine yourself before applying for that next job. Know exactly what you want out of the company before you even apply and especially before you walk into the interview.

What are my long term goals both personal and professional?

Where do you want to be in five years? 10 years? Write it all down for both your personal and professional lives. Then, make a plan on how you want to achieve those goals.

What are my personal and professional short term goals?

Where do you want to be both professionally and personally in three months? Six months? 12 months? Write them all down as you did for your long term goals.

Do these personal and professional goals mesh?

For the professional goals, it would be wise to talk to your supervisor and get a plan and agenda from them. If your job is notorious for long hours, and you want to be at the gym every night at 6pm or your child has numerous extracurricular activities after school, find out if you can leave work early without dire consequences.

Then, take those professional suggestions and agendas and pit them against your personal goals. Figure out if they mesh or if they are in direct conflict with what you really want to do.

By answering these questions, and examining both your personal and professional lives, you will be well on your way to helping yourself create an acceptable work/life balance.

Author Bio:

Stacey Carroll is the author of the thriller series - Avia.  She also authors the paranormal erotica series - The Blooddoll Factory. Stacey grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. she went to college at Indiana State University (ISU) and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in aerospace in the professional pilot program. She has flown Cessna 152s, Cessna 172s, the Pipe Seneca and the King Air. She also graduated with a minor in computer science that specialized in web design.

She has always been interested in reading and writing, and the first book she was ever read was the Grimms Brother's Fairy tales. From the ages of 6 to 11, she read the Nancy Drew series. By the age of 11, she had graduated to Stephen King novels. A few of her favorites include Carrie, Tommyknockers, The Dark Tower Series up to book 3 (That's where it stopped in the late 80s/ early 90s), Pet Semetary, The Shining, Night Shift, The Stand, It, Cujo, Christine, The Eyes of the Dragon and Thinner (Richard Bachman). In her teen years, she moved on to Anne Rice and got through about four of those books before they degraded. If you've ever read Anne Rice, you know book 5 isn't readable. Stacey has read a couple Harry Potter books as she was introduced to them in the early 2000s, and she's never read or watched anything Twilight or 50 Shades. Sorry. I'm a vampire purist, and nothing needs to be said about the latter. You already know.

She is currently an author and freelance writer. She received an honorable mention in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine in 2008 for a short story entitled The Field. In 2014, she was published in 13 Stories by Us by MacKenzie Publishing.

Other books by Stacey

• AVIA II
• AVIA Memories
  

by Stacey Carroll, Contributing Writer

I’m always careful when I rent an apartment. I don’t want anything too big. I want water, sewer, and at least trash included. If I can get gas or heat included, I do that, as well. I want central air conditioning and washer/dryer hookups. I don’t care if the complex has a pool, gym, Jacuzzi, tennis courts or any other frills. I won’t use them, and it means higher overall rent payments.


Rent

The first thing I do before I choose any apartment is figure out the rent I can afford. Typically, this is 25% of my net income, or roughly one week of net pay. I do net pay because I never see gross pay. I can’t base my rent off an amount I never see.

This means that if I am making $35,000 a year, I can expect to take home $26,250 a year. That’s $505 a week. That’s the rent amount I start with because it’s guaranteed that I will have no problems paying it.


Location

Next, I look at locations. I generally want an area that has been historically safe. In Indianapolis that means living outside of the beltline or in the Northern part of the city. Since I know I can’t afford the rents North, I looked South and West and East outside the beltline. I know that living outside the beltline is more expensive than inside the beltline. Inside the beltline I can find rent for $350 - $400 a month, but I also know that I’ll sacrifice safety and security if I do. With that in mind, I’d rather pay a little more and have peace of mind.


Water, Sewer, Trash, and Heat

When I look at apartments, I look to see what’s included in the rent. I had the misfortune of living in an a la cart complex once where water, sewer and trash were not included. The base rent was $574 a month, but after they added water, sewer and trash to the bill, it was closer to $630 a month. Those extra fees put the apartment well out of my price range, and I struggled with the payments for the entirety of the lease. Needless to say, I will never do that again. My rent has to include at a bare minimum water, sewer and trash. I don’t want any hidden fees, and I don’t want to guess what next month’s rent is going to be.

Unfortunately, I was unable to find an apartment of any size for $505/month. The apartment I did find included water, sewer and trash for $550 a month with a $10 discount for paying rent before the first of the month. Being that it was only $35 more than my budget, I decided to take it. If it had been $50 or $75 more than my budget, I would have kept looking until I found a better deal.

Author Bio:

Stacey Carroll is the author of the thriller series - Avia.  She also authors the paranormal erotica series - The Blooddoll Factory. Stacey grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. she went to college at Indiana State University (ISU) and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in aerospace in the professional pilot program. She has flown Cessna 152s, Cessna 172s, the Pipe Seneca and the King Air. She also graduated with a minor in computer science that specialized in web design.

She has always been interested in reading and writing, and the first book she was ever read was the Grimms Brother's Fairy tales. From the ages of 6 to 11, she read the Nancy Drew series. By the age of 11, she had graduated to Stephen King novels. A few of her favorites include Carrie, Tommyknockers, The Dark Tower Series up to book 3 (That's where it stopped in the late 80s/ early 90s), Pet Semetary, The Shining, Night Shift, The Stand, It, Cujo, Christine, The Eyes of the Dragon and Thinner (Richard Bachman). In her teen years, she moved on to Anne Rice and got through about four of those books before they degraded. If you've ever read Anne Rice, you know book 5 isn't readable. Stacey has read a couple Harry Potter books as she was introduced to them in the early 2000s, and she's never read or watched anything Twilight or 50 Shades. Sorry. I'm a vampire purist, and nothing needs to be said about the latter. You already know.

She is currently an author and freelance writer. She received an honorable mention in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine in 2008 for a short story entitled The Field. In 2014, she was published in 13 Stories by Us by MacKenzie Publishing.

Other books by Stacey

• AVIA II
• AVIA Memories