The Nuts and Bolts: Win Cash by Woodworking in Your Community

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Do You Use Your Wood Finishing Skills to Help Others? You Could Win the Minwax® 2014 Do Good With Wood Award

Ever watch a TV show or read an article on a community improvement project and think "I did that"? Well, this is a chance to share your good work, earn national recognition and possibly win $5,000. Minwax®, the leading manufacturer of wood finishing and wood care products, announces the last call for entries to the Do Good With Wood Award™ program.

The program is open to virtually anyone who has been involved in a wood finishing project that has helped the community—through DIY groups, craft or hobby groups, school woodshop classes, clubs, guilds, parent organizations, or simply on his or her own. The First Prize is a $5,000 cash grant, a supply of Minwax products, and a consultation with author and wood finishing expert Bruce Johnson. Second Prize is a cash grant of $2,000 and a supply of Minwax® products. The deadline for all submissions is December 31, 2014.

"Year after year, we are so gratified to see the pride and satisfaction evident

"Year after year, we are so gratified to see the pride and satisfaction evident in every project, large and small, submitted by volunteers who enjoy woodworking and wood finishing," said Janet Krakow, vice president, marketing, Sherwin-Williams Wood Care Products. "We hope that all those who have used their skills to improve their communities–giving freely of their time and creativity–will submit their projects for consideration."

The winners will be announced in early spring 2015 and the names posted at minwax.com. All eligible applicants are encouraged to enter by writing a summary of recent woodworking or wood finishing projects that have been completed for the purpose of enhancing their communities and helping others. Entries can be submitted by either (1) uploading to the Minwax® website at minwax.com, or (2) downloading and printing the entry form at http://www.minwax.com/pdfs/Minwax_CCA.pdf, then mailing the entry to Minwax®Do Good With Wood™ Award, c/o Brushfire Inc., 2 Wing Drive, Cedar Knolls, NJ 07927. All entries submitted are eligible to win a monthly prize. See the official rules on Minwax.com for more information.

Los Angeles Kitchen Remodeling Company, Professional Builders, Now Offers Remodeling Services for Small Kitchens

Professional Builders, Los Angeles kitchen remodeling company, now offers the same quality remodeling services for smaller kitchens as they are known for with larger kitchen areas. Updating a smaller kitchen can be a challenging project. Finding enough available space for storage, counter tops, seating, and appliances while still allowing adequate room for walkways, takes a remodeling company with special experience. Some contractors do not have the necessary design skills and work experience to properly address the needs of a homeowner with a smaller kitchen.

The challenge in working with smaller kitchens is that the space is limited. Without a major overhaul, this area will not magically increase in size, requiring homeowners to work with the space that they have available. This means that all of the important aspects necessary for a functional kitchen must fit into this constrained area.

Professional Builders, experts in kitchen and bathroom remodel in Los Angeles, has several solutions to update and improve function of the smaller kitchen without sacrificing visual appeal. The company recommends choosing new features that serve multiple purposes, such as a newer kitchen island that provides storage, work space, and seating that slides underneath when not in use to free up space. This allows for one aspect of furnishing to be more useful to homeowners by taking up just a small area in the kitchen.

More ways that Professional Builders recommend getting the most out of a small kitchen include better use of vertical space up to the ceiling, using lighter colors, adding extra lighting, or choosing a galley-style layout for increased brightness and a more open look.

The free, in-home consultation and estimate is a great way for homeowners to see what the company can do for their small kitchen. Visit professionalbuildersus.com to learn more.

Worry-Free Plant Care

Houseworks Group USA announced the launch of the NIMBUS Intelligent Watering System, a self-contained and self-watering pot that can water plants for more than four months at a time.

NIMBUS is a self-watering, indoor-outdoor planter that allows a plant and its environment to determine exactly when and how much water is needed. As the first of its kind, the pot utilizes a patented wet-to-dry system that aids nutrient uptake by releasing water only when the plant's root system necessitates hydration. The system is proven to enable the natural watering pattern a plant needs to not only grow, but thrive.

The NIMBUS inventor, Milton B. Watson, designed the pot to address the common problems of fungal and bacterial accumulations and root rot associated with select other pots using built-in watering systems.

"The precise amount of hydration is essential for plant growth, healthy foliage and blooming flowers; thus, a plant requires a water source that does not under or over-water it," he says. "Since most people tend to water plants inaccurately, we invented NIMBUS to take the guesswork out of the watering equation."

NIMBUS can recreate a plant's ideal watering climate through mimicking its typical wet-to-dry cycle. The pot also has the ability to distribute liquid fertilizer as the plant dictates through the Intelligent Watering System.

The NIMBUS has a two-part reservoir around the perimeter of the pot. A user can

The NIMBUS has a two-part reservoir around the perimeter of the pot. A user can fill the reservoir with water, insert an actuator, and the Intelligent Watering System does the rest. No batteries or power sources are needed. The product can serve as either a free-standing pot or an insert to decorative planters. Its sleek modern design makes it a fit for modern, transitional and traditional interiors, and covered exteriors.

Depending upon environmental conditions, users of NIMBUS can fill its reservoir with water as infrequently as every four months. "This is especially helpful for plant enthusiasts, people with busy schedules or who travel, and those without a green thumb," said Watson. "NIMBUS takes the fear out of plant care, reduces risk of plant disease caused by too much water, and minimizes plant death triggered by too little water."

NIMBUS is available for pre-orders online: http://www.nimbuspot.com/form.